Year In Review, N0 9: Brawley loses son with Capt. Pace death

Brawley lost a son and the community lost a hero when U.S. Army Capt. Scott Pace died June 6 after his helicopter took on enemy fire and crashed in eastern Afghanistan.

Described as “tender,” a “hard worker” and “ambitious” by his family, Pace’s death saw an entire community mourn his loss in different ways.

When his remains were flown into Imperial County airport with a full military escort June 16, the procession to his funeral was lengthy, and the crowd of family, friends and community members who attended his subsequent services was large.

Beyond his sacrifice, Pace was known for his keen mind and physical prowess. A star athlete who graduated fifth in his class at Brawley Union High School, Pace was honored by his alma mater during football and basketball games and the BUHS district board promised to revisit the idea of naming the old high school gym in his honor in June.

He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., with a degree in nuclear engineering, where he was part of a Division II U.S. National Championship handball team in 2004.

His military career saw him become specialized in the Kiowa helicopter, a gunship flying in support of the troops in Afghanistan.

Yet his accomplishments, by many accounts, were outshined by the man himself:

“From the little old lady down the street, to his grandma, to his (best) friend’s daughter, he had a smile for anybody that knew him,” Brooke Pace said about her brother. “And he would stand up and fight for the people and just anyone, including the men he served with.”