30 Years. Not Forgotten.
 Three decades have passed following the fateful day
when a helicopter carrying pilot Gary Wiltrout and Trooper John David Stimson fell from the snowy skies near Cordova, Alaska. Stimson and Wiltrout, who had never met before boarding the helicopter, were on a rescue mission to pick up a pilot forced down earlier in the day by the blizzard that was flinging them into peril.
Wiltrout came to while still strapped into his seat and was in a lot of pain from a broken back. The Bell 206B rested on its left side with its front windshield knocked out, leaving nothing but a gaping hole. Snow and biting wind blew in around Stimson as he unsuccessfully tried to use his body to cover the opening. The inside of the helicopter didn't provide any protection from the elements, so Stimson helped Wiltrout out of his seatbelt and out of the Helicopter. The two nestled down against its belly and the helicopter served as a windbreak. Stimson zipped up Wiltrout's parka and made him as comfortable as possible. The broken aircraft wasn't much of a shelter but it was all they had to cloak them from the blizzard.
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Call to Duty
Veteran's Day is a holiday to honor past and present servicemen and women who answered the call to duty in order to protect our freedoms. Whether they deployed overseas during a conflict, or kept guard here at home, they proudly stepped forward to serve their country. Many within the Alaska Department of Public Safety have worn the military uniform either in the past or are now serving, whether it's once a month or during a long deployment overseas in support of a military operation. Here are a few that put their lives on hold, said good-bye to their co-workers and family, and donned a different uniform to go to the far reaches of the world.
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A Trooper's Date with Destiny
Four men with prior law enforcement experience started their careers as Alaska State Troopers yesterday. One of these men is starting his second career wearing trooper blue. After 10 years as a trooper, Eric Olsen's first career was cut short by a terrible car crash while in Kodiak in 2005. He spent seven long years recuperating - first learning how to walk again, and then trying to get to a point where he could rejoin his "brothers and sisters in blue," Olson said. He first returned to the Alaska Department of Public Safety as an investigator for the Alcoholic Beverage and Control Board. However, his heart was set on wearing the uniform again.
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