Robert Arthur VanAlyne Jr.

Laramie County Sheriff's Department — Cheyenne, WY

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch August 1, 1985

Age 33

The Vigil Panel 129 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 4

Incident

Deputy VanAlyne drowned after being swept into flood waters in Cheyenne, Wyoming, while attempting to rescue four people stranded on the roof of a car. A six-year-old girl also was swept away and drowned. Deputy VanAlyne was a Vietnam War veteran and was posthumously awarded received the Carnegie Heroism Award, the Civil Air Patrol Heroism Award, the Laramie County Sheriff's Department's Medal of Valor, and the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.

Survivors

He was survived by his son, parents, and three siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WY-5618A429
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff VanAlyne served with the Laramie County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Cheyenne community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Laramie County Sheriff's Department

Type Other

Location Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Platform Identity lcso.laramie.wy.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 1, 1985

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Robert Arthur VanAlyne Jr. served in the the United States military (1970â1973) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Robert Arthur VanAlyne Jr. is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In WY, 17 of 63 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 27 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Laramie County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Laramie County Sheriff's Department

of 5 officers

40% Accident

WY — Statewide

of 63 officers

27% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident