Officials from the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission (MCVMC) unveiled their plan on Wednesday to construct a memorial dedicated to the victims of a tragic mid-air crash that transpired during the “Wings over Dallas” airshow.
The catastrophic incident unfolded in November when a B-17 Bomber and a Bell-P 63 Kingcobra collided in the sky, as reported by The Dallas Express.
MCVMC aims to create a memorable tribute that will commemorate the lives lost and serve as a place of solace for their grieving families.
The B-17 and its crew were based in Conroe, Texas, and were a part of the group called the Texas Raiders.
Jimmie Edwards III, chairman of the MCVMC, spoke to KLRD about wanting to memorialize the crew.
“Being inspired by that, we decided we needed to memorialize those pilots that passed in the tragic crash but also memorialize the B-17, … [t]he history of the great plane and the legacy that was the Texas Raiders,” said Edwards per KLRD.
The memorial will honor airmen Terry Barker, Leonard Root, Curtis Rowe, Craig Hutain, Dan Ragan, and Kevin Michels, who were all killed in the crash.
Details about the design of the memorial have been revealed, and it will include a 1:8 scale model of the B-17.
“It’ll have LCD screens embedded into the monument that are going to show videos of our nation’s history,” Williams said, per KLRD. “It’ll show the many service members that were involved in the legacy of the B-17.”
Elizabeth Woods, office manager for the MCVMC, commented on the importance of the memorial to the families of the victims.
“We here at the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission want you to know you’re not alone,” said Woods, per KLRD. “You’ll never be alone. Now you’ll have somewhere to come and visit and remember.”
The monument, expected to be unveiled at a ceremony on October 8, 2023, at 1 p.m., will be the newest addition to the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park in Conroe.
