Memorial dedicated for Oradell man, fellow troops

Service members killed during a training mission

Tributes continue to pour in locally and across the country in memory of nine service members, including a Bergen County native, killed during a medevac training mission at a Kentucky military base a year ago.

The Fort Campbell Army installation unveiled a memorial dedicated to the fallen soldiers Thursday, a day before the first anniversary of the fatal crash between two 101st Airborne Division helicopters. Among those killed was Sgt. David Solinas Jr., a 23-year-old from Oradell who was remembered for his sense of humor and life of service.

Col. Clinton Cody, commander of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, said he hoped the memorial can serve as a “rallying point” for the victims’ families to gather each year and remember their loved ones.

“I remain humbled and honored to have served alongside them, even if it was only for a short time,” Cody told those in attendance. “What they did for their country, what they stood for and how they lived their lives is something I will try to emulate for the rest of my life.”

Cody’s words were especially fitting for Solinas, who knew from a young age that he wanted to serve his country, family members told NorthJersey.com last year. But he also found many ways to give back to his local community: volunteering with special needs children, participating in church youth groups and sprucing up a hiking trail for his Eagle Scout Project.

After Solinas’ death, his family — parents David and Ellen and brothers Stephen, Brendan and Aidan — started a GoFundMe campaign to benefit local organizations, which raised nearly $90,000. The goal of the campaign, according to the family, was to “allow David to continue to give back to his community well beyond his final flight.”

The public’s generosity allowed Solinas’ family to create two annual scholarships in his name. The first, the Sgt. David Solinas Memorial Award, provides $1,000 each to three River Dell High School seniors who share the late soldier’s dedication to service.

The other scholarship, the Sgt. David Solinas Braveheart Memorial Award, is a $500 award given to a senior wrestler who has demonstrated “the same drive and tenacity on the wrestling mat which David had during his wrestling career,” according to the scholarship website. Aidan Solinas presented the inaugural award at the team’s end-of-season dinner earlier this month.

Other local residents and organizations remembered Solinas on Facebook to mark the anniversary of his death, including the FUEL (Faithfully United in Eucharistic Life) Young Adult Ministry in Oradell and the New Jersey Run for the Fallen.

Solinas’ posthumous dedication to the community will continue next month with a fundraiser at Defiant Brewing Company in Pearl River, New York. The brewery is hosting “A Drink for Dave,” featuring an open bar and barbecue buffet for all ticketed guests, from 5-8 p.m. April 13.

There is a minimum $100 donation required for entry, with all proceeds benefiting the Sgt. David Solinas Memorial Fund.

DENNY SIMMONS/THE TENNESSEAN STAFF FILE PHOTO Above: A soldier pays his respects after a memorial for the nine soldiers with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) who died when two HH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters collided during a training exercise last March. The monument was unveiled on Memorial Row on the base in Fort Campbell, Ky., on March 28.

PROVIDED BY THE U.S. ARMY Right: Sgt. David Solinas Jr., 23, of Oradell, died along with eight other soldiers from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne when two helicopters crashed to the ground during a routine training exercise at Fort Campbell.