Edwards introduces bill to relocate Air Force memorial to public land
U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11) today introduced legislation to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to relocate a memorial honoring nine Air Force crew members who lost their lives during a 1982 training mission from private land to U.S. Forest Service land. Congressman Don Davis (D-NC-01) is the co-lead of this bipartisan legislation, and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) is leading the Senate companion bill.
On Aug. 31, 1982, a C-141 departing Charleston Air Force Base crashed into Mt. Johns Knob on the North Carolina and Tennessee border. All nine crew members were killed, and a granite marker honoring them currently sits on private property six miles from the crash site.
The families of the deceased have requested that the marker be relocated from the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests to the Stratton Ridge Rest Area at the second mile marker off Cherohala Skyway in Graham County, North Carolina. The new location would be closer to the crash site, and the private supporters of the site have pledged to move the monument themselves. This bill gives them the authority to do so.
The U.S. Forest Service is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture.
Congressman Edwards said, “Western North Carolina will never forget the tragedy that occurred in 1982 when nine Air Force crew members lost their lives in our district. The supporters and families who have helped honor them for years have requested that the memorial be moved to a more prominent location, closer to the site and available for the public to visit.
“This bill will cost taxpayers no additional funds, and will help give the families of crew members who died in this tragic accident the authority they need to work with the U.S. Forest Service to move this memorial and keep the memories of the fallen alive for years to come.”
"As a proud U.S. Air Force veteran, I'm honored to cosponsor legislation relocating the memorial marker for nine courageous U.S. Air Force crew members who tragically lost their lives on Mount Johns Knob in 1982,” said Congressman Davis. "Their sacrifice, etched in our memories, deserves support in moving the marker closer to the Stratton Ridge rest area. Let's ensure the valor of these airmen is forever honored in the hearts and minds of all who visit the relocated memorial."
“This legislation is long overdue to honor the nine servicemen who lost their lives at Mt. Johns Knob 41 years ago,” said Senator Tillis. “I am proud to work with Congressman Edwards to ensure their legacy lives on and their sacrifice is not forgotten.”