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Members of the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron gathered Mar. 3, to re-paint the RAIDR 21 memorial in honor of the aircrew who lost their lives in a crash 14 years ago.
The week prior, volunteers from the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron worked to re-paint the blue memorial to include the unit colors for all those who perished: the 20th Bomb Squadron (blue); the 96th Bomb Squadron (red); 36th Wing (yellow).
The RAIDR 21 memorial site at the top of the Governor’s Complex marks a historic tragedy for the B-52 community, Andersen Air Force Base, and Guam.
On July 21, 2008, the crew took off from Andersen in a B-52 Stratofortress to perform a flyover at the 64th Guam Liberation Day parade. However, five minutes before its scheduled show time, the aircraft crashed into the ocean killing all six Airmen. The accident investigation board concluded the accident was caused by a mechanical failure in one of the aircraft's wings.
With the exception of the flight doctor, who was assigned to the 36th Medical Group, the other aircrew members were deployed to Andersen in support of U.S. Pacific Command's Continuous Bomber Presence, a strategic bomber mission that predated the Bomber Task Force missions the 96th EBS carries out today.
Maj. Dane Newell, 96th EBS flight doctor, led the memorial’s re-painting efforts along with hours of work devoted by 1st Lt. Colton Fickler and Joe Bingham. Newell says, “The RAIDR 21 memorial honors the lives lost from all three units, from both the 2nd Bomb Wing and the 36th,” he said. “By adding the unit colors and painting the members’ names on the benches, we are able to more personally honor their legacy.”
The names of the aircrew, now painted on the benches are:
Maj. Christopher Cooper, 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron aircraft commander
Capt. Michael Dodson, 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron co-pilot
1st Lt. Robert Gerren, 20th EBS electronic warfare officer
Col. (Dr.) George Martin, 36th Medical Group deputy commander, chief of aerospace medicine and flight doctor for the deployed members
1st Lt. Joshua Shepherd, 20th EBS navigator
Maj. Brent Williams, 96th EBS radar navigator
For the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, the memorial is an important aspect of the bomber legacy on the island.
In a small, informal gathering to update the memorial, the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron Commander, Col. Christopher Coleman, reflected on the tragedy at the memorial, “While not many of us here knew the aviators on RAIDR 21 personally, you in fact do know them. They are you. They understand, like you do, that there is inherent risk with every flight on a B-52.” Coleman continued, “They, like you, are part of a family of brothers and sisters who are ready to sacrifice everything in the defense of this country.”
One of the 96th EBS members, 1st Lt. Victoria “M1ST” Gurrola remarked, “It’s humbling to realize that the Aircrew who died that day, were like us. Some of them were only in their 20s, and the tragedy of their death reminds us of the seriousness of the missions we go on every day.”
Coleman concluded by noting the importance of maintaining the memorial for the B-52 community, Andersen Air Force Base and Guam.
“We continue the tradition of maintaining this memorial because we understand that it matters to the legacy of the fallen, and our connection to Guam.”
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2022 17:03 |
| Story ID: | 416070 |
| Location: | ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GU |
| Web Views: | 401 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Bomber Task Force Airmen commemorate RAIDR 21 Memorial, by Capt. Kaitlin Cashin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
