Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Monday January 6 2003 —AS Victims had survived the killing fields of Korea Continued from A1 So when he put a memorial stone and plaque near an airplane crash site in St Charles k was probably not lost on him that 37 of the 40 people who perished on this mountainside had survived a war in a hostile unfamiliar land only to be killed on native soil as they were reluming home for holidays And so Bott did what anybody would do when staring ' straight into the face of such breathtaking tragedy He erected a stone monument complete with the names of all who perished After all what words would be adequate in describing something like this? But here’s another irony: For the past decades writers from Logan and beyond have tried to memorialize this acci- dent They’ve tried to contain and quantify the bitter cruelty of the story So far that magical string of words — that perfect series of sentences that will sufficiently set history right — hasn't been created People keep on telling the story in print and around campfires hoping that by their words the story will be placed in proper and reverent Poetic tribute to lost ones The (blowing poem was printed on Friday Jan 16 1953 in the Herald Journal It was written by WiUis A Dial an instructor at Logan Junior High It was written about the air crash : perspective But what makes this ironic is that there are no right words no magical verbal salve that rationalizes nor somehow lays to rest this local tragedy It's hard to imagine the kind of relief 37 soldiers returning home from the Korean War must have felt All 37 arrived safely hack on American soil and were heading home to the South taking off from Boeing Field in Seattle for the long journey back to Jackson SC Memorial service memorial service is being held by the American Legion on Tuesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pat Hollow Plane Crash near St Charles Idaho Those interested in attending should meet at the Beaver Creek Trailhead no later than 10 am Transportation win not be provided Bring your own snowmobiles as the trail is inaccessible by foot A They had survived the horrors of war in a land few — if any — were familiar with Many family members would he wailing to greet them When they loaded the aircraft it was literally brimming over According to the flight log the 37 men three crew members and various luggage made the Curtis 6 plane heavy weighing in about 400 pounds over its maximum allowable takeoff weight1 But the pilot and first officer took off from Seattle anyway at 0050 hours en route to Cheyenne Wyo the first leg of the plane's journey They reported no irregularities when checking in with Malad Idaho at 3:58 am and cruising smoothly at 13000 feet The crew estimated the plane would fly over Rock Springs Wyo at 4:45 am And that was the last anyone heard from Associated Air C-4- Transport Flight Five days later Jan 12 1953 at 1 20 pm a civil air patrol pilot spotted the crash Once the wreck was located medics parachuted in to the scene No survivors were found Witnesses who visited the crash site never forgot the scene Former Salt Lake Tribune and Herald Journal reporter Rod Jensen was quoted a decade ago in the Journal saying “You could see faces sticking out of the snow One really particularly bad thing I saw was a boot sticking up out of the snow and it had a leg in it and nothing on the other end It looked as much like a battle scene as you could imagine” It probably looked a lot like a scene the 37 Korean War vets were quickly trying to i forget Logan attorney Preston Judd was a member of the RENDEZVOUS Eastward winging o’er the mountains Singing jesting joyous sound Noble sons mission Completed Sped to loved ones Southland bound Foggy shroud o'er mighty Wasatch Blotting out a fairy land Reached forth entangling fingers Thwarting the designs of man Mighty fortress of the mountains Dew-cla- d hills in summer rare Welcomed to her snowy bosom' Valiant warriors maiden fair " Gently now the pine trees murmur — Deeds of valor they extol ' Breathe their names in sacred memory As the fleeting seasons roll Night unto the throne of heaven Angels pause in hovering flight To inscribe on scrolls eternal ‘gainst the time that knows no night Grieve we now and weep in sorrow Knowing not the Master Plan Here today and gone tomorrow Is the destiny of man Then tonight as gentle rain the valley cleanses And lulls the just to rest And mountain snows to blot out man ’s disaster Descent to heal the scar on mother nature ’s breast To ease our grief this promise plain Unto all men is given: “Not one hair one deed one soul Is lost to God in Heaven" ' well-deserv- ed memorial lists the names of passengers and crew that were killed when the plane crashed In Logan Canyon 50 years ago A t Eyewitnesses describe scene Editor’s Note: Following is part of an accoun' appeared in The Herald Journal on Jan 13 1 953 when the first to the 6 crash site viewed the wreckage This appeared on the front page of the newspaper It appeared that the C-4- Hamilton Air Force Base was awaiting instructions from Hill Air Force Base He had radioed in a description of the 6 transport plane bearing 37 servicemen home from Korea had struck that mountain and C-4- By LA Ripplingcr Herald Journal Staff Member I noticed a Bible at the scene of the crash There were also cards There were many other items most of which couldn't he identified Some airplane seats some trouser pieces with a hip hone jutting from one pant leg And a lot of small segments of plane and equipment scattered over the area of an acre search team In the same Journal article which ran 10 years ago he recalled ‘There were frozen pieces of human beings scattered throughout the wreckage I remember one torso that had one of these Korean-typ- e coats with a on the embroidered dragon hack There were things like that all over It was just a grisly scene” Preston said According to the Civil Aeronautics Board report “Examination of the widespread and scattered wreckage yielded no clue or even suggestion that there had been structural or mechanical difficulty of any nature before impact ‘There was no evidence of any fire or explosion before the crash’” The CAB went on to say that for some reason the plane made a “involuntary descent” into an area of ice and turbulence They concluded that ice which had formed on the completely disintegrated Just blew all to pieces There was nothing lefi that can be picked up and clearly identified Thousands and thousands of pieces When we left the crash scene at noon (Sgt T Earl Hunsakcr Sheriff Wes Malm-ber- g Floyd Hansen and myself were aboard the first Sno-Sh- u to return from the accident siic) the military authorities had not yet decided just what to do with the victims Captain EW Morris of the 45th Air Rescue Squadron carnage Some felt it would be impossible to bring the bodies out — so disintegrated were wings had “seriously impaired the lift of the aircraft and adversely affected controllability despite the fact that btxits could have the been operating at the time The airplane could not have remembers the crash He was 20 and his parents Harold and Luclla were running the ski lodge When they heard of the crash and that the military was coming Luclla put on a pot of bean soup and made cold sandwiches to take to the expected military personnel “Mom said we better take fixxl to them because the military won’t have sense enough to bring fixxl along with them" Seeholzer said they But 12 ambulances were standing ready at the junction of Beaver road and highway 89 Also en route to the moun-taintowere many military men equipped with shovels As we came out of the hills no bodies had been recovered The military is standing guard and no decision as to what course to take had been reached by noon ps de-ic- er maintained proper altitude much less climb hud these conditions existed even though maximum power was being used” Ted Sceholzer owner of Beaver Mountain ski area Brake Tune-U- Alternator p CM Cooing Sy4m Transmissions Service £ mr 5? 9 Bereavement dregs the mind grievous doubt and sorrow If living faith cheers not With promised resurrection some tomorrow May love bring solace and our dreams renew Till God shall grant eternal rendezvous With It was determined that the site was too remote harsh and inaccessible to remove the wreckage and the bodies until the spring Military personnel would be placed at the site until spring: Their duty was to protect their fallen comrades who had been taken not by the hand of some communist warrior in Asia hut by the wide open mountains of Idaho But these same men who were charged with guarding the bodies of men whose lives were not that different from their own and whose fates could have been identical were also the ones who were for pil- later accordthe wreckage feting ing to Sceholzer “I find it strange that they would have pilfered from their fellow soldiers hut they did” Seeholzer said Seeholzer served in the signal corps during Korea so the wreck takes on a little different meaning for him court-martial- ed VETERAN Fro Tax EX-IR- S Settlement Analysis: Bell VMetpumps E lectricnl Problems C-4- C-4- 6s Sec CRASH on A6 Free “Insider" Report: 'How to End IRS Problems Forever!" M Hour Recorded Meenge wwwjkharriscom "the 0 787-004- Fuel Infedion SUM Inspections Nation) most auccaaaM company" --Tha MM So sat Journal JK Harris A Company- - Logan (475 Offices Nationwide) lemy Sports Academy itness — (jpRdcquet Club — ISSN UOIUfullT C-4- 877-451-91- 11 800-375-97- 30 State Safety Inspection Timing C-4- AGENTS & TAX PROFESSIONALS Confidential Interview in Our Local Office sui&r Though ice and an unexplained descent were ultimately ruled the cause of the crash the 6 which had earned the nickname “Commando” was not without its own ironic story to tell In a Jan 16 column in The Herald Journal editor Ray Nelson mentioned that Ed Bancllis of Logan a former major in the Air Force had worked on the 6 design production Bancllis said "In the early stages of pnxluction of the 6 the Air Force grounded all to make improved modifications Among the changes Ihw Mart wMi tha HS - Saltla for Mamies on the Dollar - Written GuanntM CKtf j JqiPay sacrifice they gave in Korea should have been enough” IIRSIRROBIIEMS?! a E “What bothers me: For whatever reason they served their country and after they got their job done they couldn't go home and lead a peaceful life and enjoy their family" Seeholzer said “The' HI 5 Mtia Layu UT B4S21 43S7SI7S0I 04341 4357SS7S00 Let our Certified’Personal V" Trainers Guide youto Great Results Each Nepeniership Receives 2Fi$eSessions ure'sstasyjFr f ''win v-- Q Steisstheitime to '' i w ' JfijS U-- - w “’‘‘y |