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<em>Sara Marie Knutson Cullen</em> was born in Baltimore, MD, the daughter of Bill and Lynn Brinkworth Knutson. She grew up in the small town of Eldersburg, MD surrounded by an extremely close-knit group of friends and a loving sister and brother, Kelly and Keith. She was a “bright spot” in her community and school, serving in her student government, running track, skiing, practicing karate, singing, and dancing, to name a few. In true Sara fashion, she made a bold decision to take on a new challenge and attend West Point following her September 10, 2001 campus visit.</p>
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Sara entered the United States Military Academy the summer of 2003. The <em>Howitzer</em> states that she earned a law degree, sang in the Glee Club, and joined the Judo Team. Sara was also an active cadet in companies F-1 and C-3. However, so much more can be said about such a vibrant and confident young woman who had touched the lives of so many during her four years. It is hard to capture her true and beautiful personality with simple words on a page, yet her friends remember the stories that they continue to share, along with their memories of her “amazing smile” and “Knutson laugh,” while she continues to live in all of our hearts.</p>
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One of the earliest memories of Sara as a cadet was during Beast. She quickly became known for her beautiful voice and spunky personality as she belted out Mariah Carey songs one after the other. Those songs and her energy lifted the spirits of everyone around her during some of the more difficult times. Sara truly had a gift to bring people together in an effortless manner.</p>
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Transitioning into the academic year Sara continued to sing and make great memories and good friends in the Glee Club. Aside from local trips along the East Coast, she had the opportunity to explore Hollywood, ski at Lake Tahoe, sing at professional baseball games, and get introduced to C-130 and Black Hawk rides. Also, Sara was the glue that held a great group of “Firehouse” plebes together, surviving the typical laundry delivery, chemistry, and calling minutes. No matter how insane everything was or how defeated times felt, Sara’s smile and infectious laugh was always able to cut through the tension and make everyone else smile!</p>
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Sara continued to be a leader within her C-3 company over the next three years. She was known to be a dynamo and light up any room in addition to the next two rooms when she walked in. She proved to be smart, funny, beautiful, and loved by many in the company and entire class.</p>
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Arguably some of the most memorable times with Sara took place outside of the confines of West Point. The bar was set high following a “crazy plebe” spring break in Puerto Rico. Fun that followed included weekend escapes to NYC and New Jersey, pig roasts, exploring Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA, dancing the night away, running her first marathon, cruising the Mediterranean, and exploring Europe and the Middle East. Frequent trips to the Firstie Club and Highland Falls typically included even more dancing, lots of drinking, and dessert. Yes, always dessert! No matter where she was or what she did, she made every moment, every event, and every memory better because she was part of it.</p>
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Sara graduated on May 26, 2007 and went on to Fort Rucker, AL to earn her wings as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. She developed a passion for flying and brought the same energy, poise, and confidence to the cockpit that she demonstrated throughout her life. Her next move was to Fort Wainwright, AK, where she served with her unit as part of the humanitarian mission in Pakistan. That was followed by a “sunny” assignment to Savannah, GA, where she was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and then tackled her first deployment to Afghanistan in January 2012.</p>
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A short two months prior to that deployment, Sara married the love of her life, Chris Cullen. They celebrated their marriage with a beautiful wedding and were fortunate to continue time together when Chris left the Army and took a private contractor job in Afghanistan. They enjoyed morning coffee together and were able to share their daily trials as well as some laughs and high points.</p>
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Sadly, on March 11, 2013, Sara was tragically killed in a Black Hawk crash, along with four other crew members in the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade. Two days later, her husband Chris began the difficult journey of escorting his wife and her crew home to the United States. His fortitude—along with the strength of Sara’s parents, family members, and friends—was indescribable as they made arrangements to lay Sara to rest. The time had come to say a final farewell to Sara, yet she will always be remembered as a faithful, trusting, and loving wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and soldier.</p>
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Sara was 27 years old when she died, but her accomplishments and the lives of people she touched in her life were tenfold more than those fulfilled in the lifetime of most people. Sara was an amazing person who positively impacted those around her through her humor, wit, kindness, bluntness, and joyfulness. The Army is a place that allows you to meet some amazing people, and Sara tops that list. Her loving spirit has shaped the way we live and who we are today. We continue to miss you, dear friend, and carry you in our hearts.</p>
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<em>— Classmates</em></p>