Hopkinsville’s Gander Memorial Park is being reconstructed to include an eternal flame to honor the Fort Campbell soldiers and flight crew members who died in the 1985 plane crash in Gander, Newfoundland.
The park sits along Fort Campbell Boulevard near the Pennyrile Parkway’s northbound ramp. It originally included monuments with the names of the 248 soldiers and eight flight crew members who died in the crash on December 12, 1985, along with a statue of a peacekeeper.
Clarksville based construction company Wicked Kolors and local nonprofit Dad’s House Inc. are taking on the park’s renovation and both organizations are led by Isaiah Pride. The eternal flame is being erected and once it’s completed, Pride says it will be cloaked in a veil that has a star for each fallen soldier and the insignias of their companies.
Christian County Military Affairs Director Shannon Lane says Pride and his crews have also been focused on making the park more accessible and raising the monuments to make them more readable.
Pride and Lane says they are already discussing expanding renovations deeper into the park to encourage more families to come and enjoy the space.
The park’s renovations are set to be completed in November in time for the annual memorial service in December.