Janice Johnston Nikkel/Photo from 101st Live Stream
On the 34th anniversary of the plane crash near Gander, Newfoundland that killed 248 Fort Campbell soldiers and eight crew members, the 101st Airborne Division hosted its annual remembrance service Thursday at the recently relocated Gander Memorial site on post.
The original memorial was relocated this year after the trees’ root systems began growing together, raising concerns about the long-term future of the memorial.
Eight of the original trees were transplanted, and the remaining trees were removed, with local woodworkers volunteering to craft gifts for families of the fallen soldiers.
The original maple tree memorial concept was conceived by Janice Johnston Nikkel, a then-15-year-old Canadian citizen in 1985.
She wrote a Canadian newspaper and pledged money she earned from babysitting to the creation of the original tree park and her generosity inspired others to contribute.
Nikkel was back on Fort Campbell for the dedication of the new memorial and says the words on the plaque she helped dedicate as a teen still ring true today.
Col. Michael Kovacevic is the commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and says it was important to again use trees to create a ‘living memorial’ in an area much larger than the original site.
He called the opening of the new memorial a time for the men and women of Fort Campbell to rededicate themselves to honor the memory of those who were killed on their way home from a successful peacekeeping mission to the Sinai peninsula.
Audio in this story from the 101st Live Stream.