CW3 Brian Keith Van Dusen was born in Columbus, Ohio, in June 1963. He enjoyed spending time with his family, racing motorcycles, skiing, hunting deer and pheasants, playing golf, scuba diving, fishing and playing softball. He lived with his wife and two children in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He joined the Army because “he believed in saving lives, not taking them,” as reported by his brother, David Van Dusen.

Van Dusen flew military helicopters in the Army for a total of 19 years, including service in the Persian Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was assigned to the 571st Medical Company (Air Ambulance) based in Fort Carson, Colorado.

In early May 2003, two UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters were dispatched to respond to an urgent call to evacuate an injured 11-year-old Iraqi child that had stepped on a landmine near Samarra, Iraq. The evacuation was successful, but during the mission, Van Dusen’s helicopter inadvertently snagged a seven-strand, one inch-thick steel cable and flipped over, causing it to plunge twenty feet into the Tigris River below. Van Dusen and two other soldiers were killed. The crash was classified as a hostile action.

For his service, Van Dusen was awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and an Air Medal. He was given a memorial service at Holy Family Catholic Church in Security, Colorado, and was later honored by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment with a memorial dedicated to the fallen service members who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. His remains were interred at Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in April 2019.

To post a tribute this Memorial Day for Brian Keith Van Dusen, please visit the Veterans Legacy Memorial at https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/BRIANKEITHVANDUSEN/3AB7EF7.

We honor his service.

In 2022, VA is joining forces with Carry The Load to honor veterans during the “Memorial May” March, a national relay visiting 50 VA national cemeteries to honor our nation’s fallen service members. A link to this webpage is here. The complete list of participating cemeteries can be found here. Volunteers are encouraged to register in advance.



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