On December 12,1985 a military chartered Arrow Air DC-8 left from Gander, Newfoundland to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Upon leaving the Gander airfield, the plane crashed killing all 256 people aboard. Two hundred forty-eight members of the 101^st Airborne Division and eight crewmembers died.

The troops where returning home for Christmas, from a peace keeping mission of six months on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Presents were scattered among the remains and wreckage. This crash was the largest loss of military personal, in time of peace, in the history of the U.S. Military. Canadian and American officials say that the cause of the crash was icing on the wings. There are some other theories; one of the most popular is an act of terrorism (a bomb).

Four days later, on December 16 President Reagan visited Fort Campbell, Kentucky to show the sympathy and gratitude of a saddened nation. He gave a speech of condolence to an audience of young widows, small children, and comrades.

There are two memorials dedicated to this devastating event. The Silent Witness Statue and the Cross of Sacrifice are at Gander.  The main memorial is at Fort Campbell.

The Silent Witness Statue has two children holding olive branches and one of the peace keeping soldiers in between the two children holding their hands. The olive branches stand for the peace keeping mission the troops where on. The Cross of Sacrifice stands near the Silent Witness. The cross has a piece of the emergency exit door, from the aircraft, in bedded in it. On the door piece is the inscription “Rendezvous with Destiny.”  The statue stands in a clearing made by the plane when it crashed.

At Fort Campbell, Kentucky is Gander Grove officially known as Task Force 3-502 Memorial. On this memorial are the names of the two hundred forty-eight Screaming Eagles who where killed in the crash. There is also a brief description of the event and a Bible verse on the memorial. The Bible verse is Isaiah 10:30-31, which reads “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles." Two hundred forty-eight trees are in perfect formation with plaques in front of them to honor those who died.

Matthew 5.9 

 “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.”

 **Click on the picture to see it full sized.**

Memorial at Fort Campbell, KY

Memorial and Silent Witness Monument at Gander Newfoundland     

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