Friday marked the anniversary of the crash of Air Station Barbers Point CG 6505 resulting in the sad loss of four faithful Guardians. The Vice Commandant participated in a memorial dedication honoring the loss of both the crew of CG 6505 and CG 1420 (see history below) at the air station.
Here is a summary of how the memorial came to be, written by LCDR Dan Long, the project officer:
"In the weeks following the loss of CG6505 and her crew, Captain Brad Bean, the Commanding Officer of Air Station Barbers Point communicated his desire to memorialize this crew. Captain Bean's letter of intent communicated these watchwords: Honor-Tasteful Remembrance-Timelessness. The memorial would be created to honor both the crew of CG6505 and also CG1420, lost on Molokai in 1982. Subsequently, a committee was formed representative of all members of the air station. This committee of 8 members (all with significantly different backgrounds in the Coast Guard) pulled together and created a vision for this noble cause. The specific talents of each team member coalesced and the team quickly turned a common vision into a computer generated 3D design to share with the world. The design underwent some minor revisions and quickly gained popularity Coast Guard wide. In order to turn this vision into reality, funding was essential and only through the fundraising efforts of the Coast Guard Aviation Association was construction made possible. Additionally, fate would have it that Air National Guard Civil Engineering Units would be on-site for other air station projects and graciously volunteered to complete the initial phase of construction. Although too numerous to mention here, many individuals, groups, businesses and Coast Guard members made this timeless tribute possible."
You can view a series of pictures documenting the construction of this impressive memorial.
I attended the memorial service last year, which was a personally moving experience. I'd like to share my words from that service here with you again: Memorial remarks
Memorial History:
-- Loss of CG-1420: On 7 January 1982, LCDR Horton W. Johnson, LT Colleen A. Cain and AD2 David L. Thompson perished during a search mission when their helicopter CG 1420 (Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard) responded to an early morning distress call from the Pan Am, a 74-foot fishing vessel, sinking in stormy weather off the island of Molokai. The helicopter departed Air Station Barbers Point at 0400, but by 0515 the Coast Guard lost radio contact with 1420. The wreckage of 1420 was discovered impacted on steep ridge Moloka'i's Wailau Valley. Lieutenant Colleen A. Cain was the co-pilot of 1420. She was the Coast Guard's third female aviator and became the first female helicopter (HH-52A) pilot in June 1979. She was the First USCG woman killed in the line of duty on a rescue mission.
-- Loss of CG-6505: On the evening of Thursday, 04 September 2008, Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point helicopter CG 6505 was conducting routine small boat hoist training with the Coast Guard Station Honolulu Motor Life Boat 47317 south of Oahu after sunset. A mishap occurred during the fifth hoist evolution which initiated a chain of events that ultimately resulted in the crash of CG 6505 approximately 5 nautical miles south-southwest of Honolulu International Airport. CDR Thomas Nelson (posthumously promoted to Captain), LCDR Andrew Wischmeier (the pilot in command), AMT2 Joshua Nichols (the flight mechanic) and AST1 David Skimin (the rescue swimmer) were killed in the crash.
