Today our hike was dedicated in honor of :
🇺🇸 TODAY WE HIKED WITH A FALLEN HERO 🇺🇸
Today was another very special day on the trail as we honored Air Force Staff Sergeant Danielle Marie Crone, age 25, of Wichita, Kansas.
Danielle gave her life to serving others.
We began our day by hiking two beautiful trails in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee — the Overlook Trail and the Cascade Trail. Together, we walked 3.76 miles in honor of Danielle.
The views today were absolutely breathtaking. The trails challenged us, but the weather was perfect, and there was something incredibly special about being out there knowing that every step was being taken in memory of a young woman who dedicated her life to serving others.
🇺🇸 DANIELLE MARIE CRONE
U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant
Age 25 — Wichita, Kansas
Died September 13, 2010
Danielle graduated from Fife High School in Fife, Washington, in 2003 and joined the United States Air Force shortly afterward.
But Danielle’s life of service didn’t begin with the military.
She had a heart for helping people. She passed out food to homeless people on street corners, volunteered as a Big Sister, donated clothing to AMVETS, served as a driver for Airmen Against Drunk Driving, and was a lifelong Girl Scout.
She truly lived a life of service.
In the Air Force, Danielle began her military career as an In-Flight Refueling Systems Operator, or Boom Operator, with the 384th Air Refueling Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas. She graduated from the Basic Boom Operator course as a Distinguished Graduate.
Danielle deployed repeatedly in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
During her deployments, she flew more than 130 combat sorties and off-loaded more than two million pounds of fuel to 49 different coalition aircraft, helping support combat missions.
She was also handpicked to support the Presidential Lift for the Asian Economic Conference, where she off-loaded another 60,000 pounds of fuel.
Her military career included service as an In-Flight Refueling Systems Operator on the KC-135 and later as an Ophthalmic Craftsman with the 931st Aerospace Medicine Flight at McConnell AFB.
Her awards and decorations included the Air Medal with two devices, the Meritorious Unit Award, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Combat Readiness Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and numerous other Air Force service and achievement awards.
Danielle was only 25 years old when her life came to an end on September 13, 2010.
Her family has continued to share her story and make sure that her service and sacrifice are remembered. Her parents have spoken publicly about Danielle’s dedication to helping others and her commitment to serving her country.
🥾 TODAY’S HIKE
Today we walked 3.76 miles on the Overlook Trail and Cascade Trail in Fairfield Glade.
The trails were challenging.
The views were breathtaking.
The weather was perfect.
And the experience was simply amazing.
Along the way, we met several people and had the opportunity to talk with them about what we do and why we walk.
Those conversations are one of the things that make these walks so meaningful. Every time we tell someone about a Fallen Hero, that hero’s story reaches another person.
Today, Danielle’s story traveled a little farther.
I want to give a very special THANK YOU to Donna, our trail friend, for helping us honor this hero today.
I also want to thank Fallen Hero Army Veteran Codey Donahue for helping us honor Danielle today.
It was an amazing day on the trails, but most importantly, it was another opportunity to make sure that a Fallen Hero is remembered.
Danielle served her country.
Danielle served her community.
Danielle helped others.
And today, we were honored to walk in her memory.
🇺🇸 Air Force Staff Sergeant Danielle Marie Crone — YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. 🇺🇸
3.76 miles walked today in your honor.
One step at a time.
#iwalk4them #WalkingWithFallenHeroes #DanielleMarieCrone #NeverForgotten #FallenHero #USAirForce #Veteran #HonorTheFallen #RememberTheFallen #OneStepAtATime
