Memorial Being Set Up To Honor National Guard Soldiers Who Died In Helicopter Crash

January 20th, three soldiers in the National Guard died in a helicopter crash just outside Mendon, New York.  There is now a memorial set up to remember them.

January 20th was a historic day for the United States.  It was the day that the 46th President of the United States was inaugurated.  The country's first female Vice President was also sworn in on that day.  It's probably what a majority of the country will remember.  But also on that day, during a routine exercise, a helicopter flying over Mendon, New York (just outside Rochester) crashed and killed everyone on board.

Included in that crash were 54-year-old Steven Skoda of Rochester, 39-year-old Christian Koch of Honeoye Falls, and 30-year-old Daniel Prial of Rochester.

Now there is a memorial set up to make sure that they are remembered.  It's a simple display just off West Bloomfield Road near the scene of the crash.  It's three flag poles with the flags at half staff to symbolize the three soldiers.  At the base of the flag in the middle is a silhouette of a person who is putting a cross at the foot of the pole and other American flags that have been sunken into the ground there.

“We’re mourning the loss of our son, our brother, our uncle, and friend,. We extend our sincerest condolences to the families of the other two officers affected by this crash and our thoughts and prayers are with them, too.”  - Barbara Skoda, the mother of Chief Warrant Officer Steven Skoda

At this point, they are still looking for the cause of the crash that brought the Blackhawk Helicopter to the ground.

A GoFundMe for Koch’s family with a $20,000 goal has already crossed the $110,000 mark.