Alan Colley, a veteran of the Iraq war who also served in Uganda and El Salvador, has been added to Santa Clarita’s Fallen Veterans Wall at the Veterans’ Plaza in Newhall.

“He was a brilliant young man, really a true genius,” said Frank Ferry, former Santa Clarita Mayor and friend of the family.

Colley died last month in Houston, where he shared a home with his wife, Marcela, and their two daughters, according to his mother, Kathy Colley.

Colley’s burial ceremony in Houston was attended by family and members of his Army Reserve unit who came to honor their commander, Kathy Colley said.

“To Alan, the people that served under him weren’t just bodies and numbers, but he knew their names, their families, and their kids names; he made a point to know people he served with,” said Colley. “We heard this from the many people who attended the ceremony, with some flying from clear across the country to pay their respects.”

Although his name can be seen now on the Wall, the official unveiling ceremony for Colley’s name among the other Santa Clarita Soldier’s introduced to Fallen Veterans
Wall will be held on November 8, and family members, community leaders and former and current military personnel plan to be in attendance.

Related: Alan Colley Memorial Fund Set Up To Support Family Of Veteran

Along with Alan Colley’s name, his younger brother Stephen Colley, will also have his name placed on the wall. Stephen Colley died while on active duty 10 years ago.

Before becoming a commander of his Army Reserve squad, Alan Colley had attended Canyon High School and graduated in 1996. While in high school, the future Army commander was a student volunteer on various Santa Clarita elections, assisting on both City Council and School Bond campaigns.

Alan Colley’s name is one of the many added to the Fallen Veterans Monument in Newhall.

“He had this spark that made him want to be deeply involved with his world and his local community,” said Kathy Colley. “And this manifested into him becoming an exceptional leader in the service.”

Following his time as a Cowboy, Colley later graduated from Cornell University and then attended the University of Michigan Law School.

Following his education, Colley joined the Army Reserves, and served on deployments in Iraq, Uganda and El Salvador.

Through his time in the reserves and on deployments, Colley was commended by both his superiors and subordinates for his exceptional leadership and character, according to his mother.

“When he was serving as a commander in Iraq he wanted to have more cohesiveness in his unit, and something that he and his soldiers could share that was not related to their being in Iraq,” said Colley. “So he sent home a request to his Dad to buy the same book for everyone in his unit as a Christmas gift, so that his men could have some normalcy and not be entirely concentrated on the fact that they were in a war.”

At the Veterans Plaza ceremony in November, along with the Colley family, some of the 11 other Gold Star family members in Santa Clarita will be in attendance to see their loved one’s name unveiled on the wall, according to Colley.

“The City of Santa Clarita has definitely been very supportive of our losses,” said Kathy Colley. “We’re very grateful to live in a community that pays respect to our (veterans).”

The “Alan Colley Memorial Fund” GoFundme page has been set up to help the family cover burial costs, transportation for the family, unforeseen household expenses and comfort to Alan’s daughters, according to Ferry.

If you would like to donate to the GoFundme Page, click here.

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