Edwards introduces bill to relocate Air Force memorial to publicly-accessible land
U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11) today re-introduced the Stratton Ridge Air Force Memorial Act ahead of Memorial Day to authorize the relocation of a memorial honoring nine Air Force crew members, who lost their lives during a training mission, from private land to public 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.
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 families and supporters of these service members, who have helped honor them in the years since their passing, have requested that the memorial be moved to a more prominent location that is closer to the site and available for the public to visit.
“This bill will give the families of crew members who died in this tragic accident the authority needed to work with the U.S. Forest Service to move the memorial to a more accessible site, keeping the memories of our nation’s fallen soldiers alive for years to come.”
“Relocating the memorial marker for the nine heroic U.S. Air Force crew members who lost their lives on Mt. Johns Knob in 1982 to a site closer to the crash site is essential for honoring their memory and giving their families a true place of reflection,”said Congressman Davis.
"The nine Air Force crew members who perished in the 1982 C-141 crash made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation,”said Senator Tillis. “Their bravery deserves to be honored at a location that truly reflects the gravity of their loss and provides a meaningful place for reflection for visitors and their families. This legislation is a crucial step in ensuring these heroes are properly remembered in perpetuity at the actual crash site."
On Aug. 31, 1982, a C-141 departing the 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 the crew members currently sits on private property six miles from the crash site.
The families of those lost 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 in Graham County, North Carolina. The new location would be closer to the crash site, and the supporters of the site have pledged to move the monument themselves. This bill gives them the authority to do so without requiring federal funding.