On the early morning of Dec. 12, 1985, Arrow Air Flight 1285 stalled, crashed and burned shortly after take-off in Gander, Newfoundland. The 256 passengers on board – 248 Screaming Eagle Soldiers and eight crew members – were killed. The Soldiers killed were attached or assigned to 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, “Strike and Kill,” 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
Thirty-one years later to the day, Soldiers from the Strike Ready Force, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, braved the frigid cold on Monday to honor those who were lost with wreath laying ceremony at Fort Campbell’s Task Force 3-502nd Memorial Tree Park.
“Every 101st patch, every Strike Crest, and every Blackheart contains a piece of these fallen Soldiers,” said Col. Eric P. Lopez, commander of the Strike Ready Force. “They are our core and our foundation as we now seek to defend our nation as they did.”
To this day, the Gander tragedy remains the single worst air disaster during peacetime in the United States Army’s history.
The Task Force 3-502nd mission was unique. The Multinational Force and Observers were charged with monitoring Egypt and Israel’s compliance to the terms of the Camp David Accords, a treaty that laid out the framework for peace between the two enemies.
A common sentiment among Gander Gold Star Families and 3-502nd veterans alike is ‘they died attempting to heal a broken world.”
“They had completed their mission and prevented a flashpoint in this contentious area,” Lopez said. “If you review their deployment, you’ll find Soldiers of 3-502nd were exactly like those in the 502nd of today. Energetic, charismatic and hard working.
“Each company’s summary of its time in the Sinai is crammed with training highlights and athletic competitions. They also certainly experienced plenty of the mundane – improving fighting positions and pulling security in the hot desert sand. But from July to December of 1985, [the Soldiers of] Task Force 3-502nd did their job – they maintained the peace.”
Family members and veterans from the “Strike and Kill” battalion traveled from all over the globe for the ceremony – many of them make the trip annually.
Retired Sgt. Jim A. Wassenar, a Minnesota native who was a driver assigned to the 3-502nd at the time of the crash, reflected on the initial news of the death of so many of his comrades who became Family during their time in the desert.
“We were all in complete shock,” Wassenar said. “Denial, even. It was supposed to be a time to celebrate. We were all coming home in time for Christmas. In a matter of minutes, they were all gone.”
The first main body made it home. They were tasked with assisting the Families of the crash victims upon receipt of the crash notification.
“It was absolutely horrific,” Wassenar said. “One of the worst things I have experienced in my life.”
Many of the programs in place today for behavioral health were not available at that time. Soldiers were told to “man up” and deal with it. Wassenar is grateful that Soldiers today have the help necessary to deal with events as catastrophic as the Gander crash.
Wassenar and veterans like him expressed their gratitude for the continued support and remembrance ceremonies for their lost comrades.
“It means so much that this still happens every year,” he said. “It’s a chance for a lot of us to meet up and mourn together.”
Strike Ready Force also provided an honor guard and firing squad for the annual Hopkinsville Gander Ceremony that was held on Monday.