Air National Guard holds memorial service for C-17 crewmen

August 03, 2010

Hundreds of service members attended a memorial service for the four crewmen killed in a C-17 cargo plane crash near an Elmendorf runway last week. (Phil Walczak/KTUU-DT)

by Jason Lamb
Monday, August 2, 2010

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Monday was a time to reflect and remember, as the Alaska Air National Guard hosted a memorial service for the four airmen who died in the crash of a C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane near an Elmendorf runway last week.

About two dozen family members and hundreds of service members attended the service at Elmendorf's Hangar 20. It was held the day after the close of the Arctic Thunder air show, for which the airmen were practicing when their C-17 crashed shortly after takeoff Wednesday.

"And on the 28th day of July¸ Lord, in the year 2010, at 1814 hours, for but a fleeting moment -- time stood still," said chaplain Lt. Col. Keith Muschinske. "And in that moment, even as Sitka 43 strained to slip the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings, something went terribly wrong."

Killed in the crash were Majs. Michael Freyholtz and Aaron Malone, Capt. Jeffrey Hill and Master Sgt. Thomas Cicardo. Freyholtz, Malone and Cicardo were assigned to the Alaska ANG's 249th Airlift Squadron, while Hill was a member of Elmendorf's 517th Airlift Squadron.

"And in that moment, the lives of four dedicated airmen, the lives of four heroes, the lives of four of Alaska's best and brightest, were extinguished -- and in that moment, countless other lives were changed forever," Muschinske said. "May each of us not only share the sadness of this great loss, but may we somehow, some way share your peace, share your promise of new life even in the face of death."

Gov. Sean Parnell was also at Monday's service. He said Alaskans shared in the loss of an aircrew that put service before self.

In Washington, D.C., Sen. Mark Begich called for a moment of silence on the floor of the Senate Monday in honor of the four men.

"Let us pay tribute to their selflessness, service and sacrifice to our nation and to Alaska," Begich said.

Begich also read a brief biography of the servicemen into the record and said the crash was a terrible tragedy for Alaska, calling Alaska's military installations "extensions of our communities."

Contact Jason Lamb at jlamb@ktuu.com

|

|

|