Bridge dedicated to airmen who died in Blaine County

The Harlem Airmen Memorial Committee dedicated a new bridge at Harlem Centennial Park to the 13 airmen who died in the skies over Blaine County 30 years ago in a tragic training crash.

Two U.S. Air Force cargo planes conducting nighttime training exercises at 25,000 feet near Harlem Nov. 30, 1992, collided and crashed to the ground, killing all on board the two planes.

A memorial for the men killed was created in Centennial Park in Harlem, and the bridge at the park was dedicated on the 30th anniversary of the crash.

Committee Co-Chair Darwin Zellmer acted as the master of ceremonies for the dedication, thanking everyone for attending despite the windy and bitterly cold conditions.

Zellmer said it is with heavy hearts and deep-felt sympathy that they remember the 13 men who died that day in service to the country, and with gratitude that they remember the first responders who worked hard to send them home with dignity and respect.

"We hope this commemoration and dedication will add more closure for all of the family of the airman and the people who responded that fateful night," he said.

The Rev. William Rima read a psalm and asked that everyone take time to remember these men who made the ultimate sacrifice and that God help those left behind to continue healing.

Harlem City Councilperson Chris Green also spoke, welcoming everyone to the city, expressing his ongoing sympathies and his pride in the work of the people of Harlem and the Hi-Line in responding to the tragic crash 30 years ago.

Zellmer later returned to the microphone and talked a little about the history of the original memorial - only a couple hundred feet away from the new bridge - dedicated to the 13 airmen shortly after the crash.

He thanked Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and its tribal council for providing the stones used to build the memorial, which was put up with no government funding, as well as the Hopkins family which has provided wreaths for the memorial for decades.

He also thanked the company that made the new bridge, Black Hoop Enterprises, and the workers who put their time, talent and dedication into the project which he vowed the committee would maintain for all time.

Zellmer also thanked Frank Maguire, brother of Kevin Maguire, one of the airmen who died in the crash 30 years ago, for attending, as well as some of the first responders from Fort Belknap whom he recognized in the crowd.

He said the people who responded to the crash all those decades ago did so as if the fallen were their own and he takes great pride in them.

He also thanked all the city of Harlem employees who helped make the memorial happen as well as members of the media for covering the event.

In reality, he said, there are far too many people in the region to thank individually, but he wanted everyone to know he and his fellow committee members were grateful.

Among those committee members was Dwayne Lavender, who has been on the committee for nearly the whole 30 years since the crash, and he thanked them for their time as well.

After that Chinook Fire Chief Kraig Hansen read the names of the deceased: Capt. David J. Sielewicz, Capt. Jimmy Lee Jenkins, Capt. Mark Alan Elster, Tech. Sgt. David Richard Young, Staff Sgt. Terrence J. Miyoshi, Sr. Airman Wilbert Tyron Brown III, Airman 1st Class George Anthony Moreland, Staff Sgt. Monte Leroy Bissett, Tech. Sgt. Peter Leo Osterfeld, 1st Lt. Edward H. Hoyle III, Capt. Kevin M. Maguire, Capt. Banks E Wilkinson and Capt. Edward D. Parent Jr.

Then Blaine County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Spudic read the High Flight poem in honor of the fallen and Louise Nissen sang "God Bless the USA" as she did during the dedication of the original memorial nearly three decades ago.

After that the group went to the American Lutheran Church for a luncheon and to view memory books and photo albums of the 13 airmen.

These books and albums will be on display at the Blaine County Museum from now until the end of the year, after which they will go on permanent display at the Blaine County Library.