CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Twenty Air National Guard members who died 62 years
ago in one of the worst air tragedies in southern West Virginia are
being honored in a living memorial at Yeager Airport.
The special project, which aims to recognize contributions of West
Virginia veterans, features photographs in the baggage claim area for
the Wall of Honor. The wall was unveiled Monday, with the 130th Air
Guard Honor Guard displaying post and retire colors.
The focal point of the first display is a tragic chapter of Yeager Airport's own history.
In 1951, an Air National Guard transport plane clipped the top of a hill
and crashed about 10 miles north of Charleston. Nineteen servicemen
immediately died; two others died later of their severe burns. Twenty of the 21 were from West Virginia.
The servicemen were flying home from Godman Air Base in Fort Knox, Ky.,
for the funeral of Major Woodford "Jock" Sutherland, who had been
piloting an airplane in Florida that had gone the wrong direction on a
taxiway and ended in a ground collision between two F-51 fighter planes.
"This event has big ties to the community," said Tim Murnahan, assistant
director of the Yeager Airport. "It's altogether fitting and proper for
this flight group to be our first showcase of photos on the 62nd
anniversary of the crash."
Story and Photos: http://www.wvgazette.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment