The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Alert "Journal" readers may recall the story that ran in August about the visit by 16 former airmen who came to visit the Harlem Airmen's Memorial. The group, all Air Force veterans and mostly from the west coast, had some connections to the 13 crewmen who died during a refueling practice run high over Harlem that resulted in a crash of two of the four planes in the exercise. The crash occurred on November 30, 1992.

The 16 came to visit the memorial in Harlem and another up nearer the actual crash site north of town. Unexpectedly, their visit coincided with an exhibit set up in the Blaine County Museum in Chinook that commemorated the 30th anniversary of the crash. The visitors were met at the museum by former Harlem Fire Chief Kraig Hansen who worked with local and outside agencies during the disaster. Later the group connected with Darwin Zellmer a local who photographed many of the events surrounding the disaster. Early on both Darwin and Kraig were instrumental in getting the two memorial sites designed and created.

One of the 16 who came to visit the sites 30 years after the crash said later, "We thought we were coming just to look at a couple of memorials. Darwin and Kraig added so much to the trip, as did Sam French the museum director (and the exhibit at the museum)." Another commented, "How these small communities wrapped their arms around our fallen comrades was amazing. We never knew about all the things the communities did in Montana to honor our comrades then and for all these years to keep alive the memories of them and how they died."

What that group of visitors did more recently was a surprise to both Kraig and Darwin. In a ceremony that was kept secret from the two locals, for the most part, the visiting airmen honored their two "new comrades" as one put it, with a surprise ceremony conducted at Harlem City Hall on the night of the 31st anniversary of the crash. Here's some of what happened on that special evening of November 30, 2023.

Two special lithographs were presented by Harlem's Mayor

Kirt Thompson, one of the airmen who visited last summer was the loadmaster on Plane #4 when the crash occurred. He contacted Harlem City Clerk and Treasurer Becky Schroeder asking if she could arrange a way for Harlem Mayor Chris Green to make a presentation to Kraig and Darwin and "keep it a secret from them until it happens." Schroeder admitted, "In a small town it's hard to keep a secret." She added there were certain rules that had to be followed for the mayor to make an official presentation, plus, she said, "I was unsure how to get Darwin and Kraig to show up for a meeting at city hall." Becky worked it out, got the mayor and the special guests together and the presentation was made.

The group of former airmen sent gifts for presentation in appreciation for how Darwin and Kraig welcomed them and shared what the local residents had done to honor the fallen airmen. Thompson, who now lives in Alaska, said, "This was not just one member of our group's idea." They shared ideas and bounced options back and forth until they came up with gifts that had meaning to the military people as well as the civilians who had taken their comrades into their hearts."

Two lithographs were presented, one each to Kraig and Darwin. The drawings, titled "Last Bag Drag," depict a crew member coming off a flight and making his way to quarters where he will finally get some sleep. The drawing was made by Lt. Col. Herbert Bailey, a retired Air Force pilot. Speaking about the drawing, one of the donors said, "It was standard procedure to try and take all your gear with you in one trip. Typically where you ended up sleeping was about as far away from where your started as possible."

Along the bottom of the drawings are three challenge coins (the coins represent esprit de corps and a part of military tradition for decades, at times they are used to identify someone is a part of a particular unit or group), one from each of the squadron commanders under whom the crash victims served. Kirt Thompson added, "The framing was done in a shop owned and operated by a former military colleague. He had a very good feel for the tone we wanted to create with the lithograph and coins."

At the bottom of each framed piece is a small plaque that personalizes each larger piece to Darwin or Kraig. It reads "With humble appreciation for your selfless dedication to our fallen C-141 Aircrews 65-0255 / 66-0142." That is followed by this quote from Commander Jerry Coffee, Hanoi: "We toast our hearty comrades who have fallen from the skies, and were gently caught by God's own hand to be with Him on high."

Courtesy Photo

This challenge coin was designed by a group of former airmen who visited the Harlem Airmen Memoria last August. The coin represents the four C-141s that were practicing refueling over the Harlem area thirty years ago. The two 'white' planes represent the two planes that crashed during the practice run. Thirteen airmen perished in the crash.

In addition to these gifts to Darwin and Kraig, a flight helmet used by Kirt Thompson was also donated. Thompson was on Plane #4 when the crash occurred and was wearing the helmet that he donated. He shared it is a tradition when a crew member retires it is standard procedure that each remaining crew member signs their signature on the face shield of the helmet. Kirt is asking that all the members of the Airmen Memorial Committee sign the helmet in a slight variation of the military ceremony.

Darwin Zellmer shared later that the visiting group had also sent some new challenge coins for the memorial on the south edge of Harlem. Some of the visitors had noticed the coins mounted on the individual stones on the memorial had 'aged' and needed replaced. The visitors collaborated on a design for the new challenge coins and had them manufactured.

Kirt Thompson, who initially contacted the Harlem City Clerk about a surprise presentation for Kraig and Darwin, closed his email commenting about the group's appreciation of everything Harlem folks have done to "keep the memories of our friends alive." He added this closing quote: "A soldier never truly dies until he has been forgotten." It is truly amazing how many folks are working to keep these soldiers' memories alive.