A FORMER MEMBER OF SIOUX CITY’S 185TH AIR NATIONAL GUARD WHO WAS KNOWN LOCALLY FOR HIS RESPONSE IN THE RESCUE OF PASSENGERS FROM THE CRASH OF UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 232 IN 1989 HAS PASSED AWAY.
COLONEL DENNIS NIELSEN PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 23RD IN NORTH CAROLINA.
NIELSEN WAS ON DUTY ON JULY 19TH, 1989 WHEN THE PLANE CRASHED AT SIOUX GATEWAY AIRPORT.
HE BECAME THE FACE OF THE RESCUE WHEN HE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED CARRYING 3 YEAR OLD SPENCER BAILEY TO SAFETY FROM THE PLANE WRECKAGE.
GARY BROWN WAS THE WOODBURY COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR AT THE TIME AND ALSO A FRIEND OF NIELSEN:
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NIELSEN1 OC…….MILITARY AND THE 185TH. :18
THE PICTURE BY SIOUX CITY JOURNAL PHOTOGRAPHER GARY ANDERSON LATER BECAME THE MODEL FOR THE SPIRIT OF SIOUXLAND SCULPTURE ON THE SIOUX CITY RIVERFRONT.
BROWN SAYS NIELSEN WAS AN EARLY MEMBER OF THE LOCAL TEAM THAT TRAINED FOR RESPONDING TO SUCH A DISASTER SUCH AS THE PLANE CRASH:
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NIELSEN2 OC………FOR THE 185TH. :13
NIELSEN RETIRED FROM THE 185TH IN 2002 AND MOVED TO THE RALEIGH , NORTH CAROLINA AREA.
BROWN KEPT IN CONTACT WITH HIM AFTER HE LEFT IOWA:
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NIELSEN3 OC……..SPEEDY JOURNEY. :09
NIELSEN WAS 76 YEARS OLD.
(PHOTO BY GARY ANDERSON)
COPYRIGHT SIOUX CITY JOURNAL
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