Airman pays tribute to fallen Soldier

  • Published
  • By Tyler Grimes
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  There are many ways we, as Americans, can honor our fallen service members. Some wear ribbons, put up wreaths, fly flags and visit national cemeteries. But Senior Airman Bryan Anderson-Wooten, 940th Civil Engineer Squadron structural apprentice at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. found a special way to honor one of his fellow service members who he had never met.

While searching online for contacts from his alma mater, Florin High School in Sacramento, Anderson-Wooten stumbled upon a photo of Army Sgt. Keicia Coleman-Hines.

"I scrolled down hoping to see former classmates, instead I came across a picture of a smiling Soldier in uniform," he said. "I realized this person with a beautiful smile is the Soldier I heard about as a sophomore six years prior."

Anderson-Wooten said he remembered hearing that she passed in Iraq in 2004.

Soon after, Anderson-Wooten began his initial training at Travis and figured out how he wanted to pay his respects to this fallen hero.

"My first week there, a shadowbox was being made for someone's retirement," he said. "I then realized that I wanted to make one for Sgt. Coleman-Hines."

With a goal in mind, he enlisted the help of his high school guidance counselor to learn more about Coleman-Hines and organize the ceremony to present the shadowbox to her family. Anderson-Wooten contacts from the school connected him with Coleman-Hines' family so he could inform them of his plans.

He reached out to Beverly Coleman, Coleman-Hines' mother.

"It was quite surprising and overwhelming that someone so young and who had never met Keicia felt so compelled to make this ceremony happen," Coleman said. "Bryan wanted this to be a secret surprise, but he needed information that only I could supply."

He said he learned about what an outstanding Soldier and person Coleman-Hines was from Coleman and her friends online.

"Her fallen heroes' page is filled with comments about her kindness," he said. "One young lady had no family support when having her baby, but she had Coleman-Hines in the delivery room with her. Another Soldier credits Coleman-Hines for helping him mature into the man he is today."

Anderson-Wooten also received help with the shadowbox from Coleman-Hines' husband, Sean Hines, to ensure her military medals were displayed correctly.

In addition to building the shadowbox, he also contacted his local member of Congress to have a flag flown over the United States Capitol and given to Coleman-Hines' mother at a flag folding ceremony.

"January 14, 2013 is the nine year anniversary of Coleman-Hines passing in Iraq," he said.

To prepare for the home town ceremony, he worked with the school administration to organize the ceremony to take place in the high school's gymnasium during an upcoming game for the girls' basketball team, which Coleman-Hines played on.

On Feb. 11, with more than 100 people in attendance, Anderson-Wooten presented the shadowbox to Coleman-Hines' family, an experience that her mother will not soon forget, she said.

"From that day to this day, I am humbled and pleasantly surprised to be reminded of how many lives my daughter has touched and is still influencing," she said.

Anderson-Wooten continues to preserve Coleman-Hines' memory by making a plaque for her, which will be placed in Florin High School along with one from the Fallen Warriors' Memorial Organization.

Although many at the school may not have known Coleman-Hines personally, Anderson-Wooten is making sure the ultimate sacrifice she made will not be forgotten.