On the day of their fifth anniversary, Amy Gallo’s husband – Richard S. Nichols – was taken from her.
The Staff Sargent was one of 248 American soldiers and eight crew to lose their lives in the Arrow Air crash near Gander on Dec. 12, 1985.
In central Newfoundland the crash has been memorialized by Silent Witness, a statue located at the crash site, approximately 10 kilometres east of Gander.
At Fort Campbell, which borders Kentucky-Tennessee in the United States, where the 101st Airborne Division was stationed, they are remembered at the Gander Memorial.
The memorial site was established with a donation of 256 Canadian Maple trees from. Each tree represents one of the people killed in the crash. However, Gallo says, the trees were planted too close together and haven’t fared well in the Kentucky climate. Several are dying. Furthermore, she says, development has taken place around the area and accessing the memorial has become increasingly difficult.
A plan is now underway to have the monument moved to a new area, and the maples will be replaced with a more climate tolerant species. Gallo said the plan is to have one last memorial at the original site this year, before making the switch to the new location.
“We were promised this site would never be moved, and families were quite upset about it,” she said. “But as the trees have gotten worse, and I visit the area quite often, it was obvious something had to happen.
“It’s going to be a beautiful site, but it will still be emotional.”
Major Kevin Andersen, a Fort Campbell representative, stated the new memorial site will surround the military base’s museum.
While he didn’t have specific figures, he said the memorial site is being built much larger than the original to accommodate the trees and create a more open and sustainable space for remembrance for decades to come. The cost is expected to be under $1 million, and covered by Fort Campbell.
“The original stone monument will be moved to the new memorial,” said Anderson. “The theme will remain in the sense that it will be a tree grove, with a tree planted for each victim of the crash.”
And to maintain a living monument perspective, eight of the Canadian Maples will be uprooted and replanted at another location.
Lasting impact
The Arrow Air crash is the largest aviation disaster to occur on Canadian soil, and it was tremendous loss for Fort Campbell and its surrounding communities.
“It was a massive blow to the unit, 101st Airborne, a tragic loss of life, it caught everyone off guard,” said Andersen. “The intent was to get soldiers with families home for the holidays… It was a very powerful event that has left a lasting impact on both communities.”
He said the tragic event created a lasting relationship between the two international communities. Gander still marks the anniversary, and along with the Silent Witness memorial, the town has remembered the fallen at its Tragedies of Flight memorial.
“It brought together two communities that otherwise their paths never would have crossed,” said Andersen.
Jack Pinsent, president of the Gander International Airport Historical Society, has seen that connection hold over the past 32 years.
“I’ve been down to the Silent Witness memorial a number of times over the years and there’s evidence of that connection, from the notes and prayers left by family members who still visit the site,” Pinsent said. “And even though it was such a tragic loss, we are pleased that people continue to remember what happened and that it’s not something that will be lost or forgotten with time.”
