Photo By Ken Stephens | Marcy Jarecki (2nd right) and Mary Olczyk (right) read the names of the victims during...... read more read more
Representatives from the U.S. Air Force reserve components met with families, friends and a small village to mark a 40th annual commemoration, Saturday, March 19.
Current and former Members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with other guests, attended a memorial service for the victims of a KC-135 crash in Wonder Lake, Illinois.
On March 19, 1982, an Illinois Air National Guard KC-135A exploded over the small northern Illinois village on a Friday evening while returning to its home base, the Air Reserve Station at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.
The passengers were from the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 928th Tactical Airlift Group and the aircrew was with the Illinois Air National Guard’s 126th Air Refueling Wing. All 27 of the aircrew and passengers perished.
Although pieces of the aircraft spread over eight miles, no one on the ground was injured.
The Wonder Lake Fire Department Two was a first responder to the site then, and hosted this years observance at their station.
Two surviving spouses, Marcy Jarecki, wife of Tech Sgt. Kenneth Jarecki of the 928th, and Mary Olczyk, wife of Sgt. Stephen Olczyk also with the 928th, planned the event and searched for more family members of the victims to invite to the ceremony.
Jarecki spoke at the event about the accident and recounted how forthcoming everyone was with the little information they had at the time.
“Closure is almost impossible when you do not have the opportunity to say goodbye,” Jarecki said. “Because of that you want to know everything there is to know, no matter how painful.”
Jarecki also expressed her thanks for the military assistance the families received.
“Forty years ago the Air Force and National Guard assisted all of the families with funeral preparations and everything else that grieving military families required,” Jarecki said in her remarks. “Many of us had special requests. Nothing went unanswered or unfulfilled. Thank you for your compassion and help.”
Col. Tom Jackson, the current commander of the 126th Air Refueling Wing, released a video on social media commemorating the anniversary. Jackson was unable to attend the event.
“We will always remember and never forget those that served before us,” Jackson said.
Maj. Neil Samson, the Public Affairs Chief for the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, represented the Air Force Reserve at the ceremony.
In his remarks, Samson noted the diversity of the passengers including Senior Airman Hunan Ann Holt, a female Reservist from Hawaii.
Brian Nicosia, son of Capt. Robert Nicosia, a Guardsman on the flight, was thankful that his father and the other Airmen were being honored.
“We’re just really appreciative that people have taken the time to put this together and honor the memories of everyone that perished in the accident,” Nicosia said. “I’m very appreciative of all the support from the 126th and 928th, and what they’ve been able to contribute, not only today but over the years, to the families.”
Phil Becerra, an aircraft maintenance technician with the Air National Guard wing at the time, helped with search and recovery operations at the site and said the ceremony helped him.
“I met the spouse of one of the guys that I recovered and for me that meant a lot,” Becerra said. “I don’t want to say closure but it was part of the puzzle that was missing.”
Tommy Carr, an Air Force Security Police who also worked at the crash site, agreed.
“This is important to remember.” Carr said. “It stirred up some things that you didn’t think you had any more.”
“It’s not really a closure, it’s just connecting. It’s reconnecting in a way,” Carr said.
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2022 11:23 |
| Story ID: | 416832 |
| Location: | WONDER LAKE, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 2,474 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 40 Years Later, Plane Crash Memory is Still Fresh, by Ken Stephens, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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