MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Friday marks 30 years since a C-130 crashed in Morgan County, killing all six airmen on board.
Their memory is kept alive each year at the 1-67th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg, according to Acting Airlift Wing Commander Col. Christopher Sigler:
This year’s memorial will be special:
This year they added two new memorials:
Sigler says there’s already been a plaque memorial which is “in front of the building our flyers enter every day.” They are adding a new granite bench and maple tree for the 30 year anniversary.
On October 7, 1992, the West Virginia National Guard and the 167th Airlift Wing – West Virginia Air National Guard lost six Airmen when the C-130E they were flying crashed at 9:35 a.m. near Berkeley Springs.
Lost in the DECOY 81 crash in Morgan County were Lt. Col. John “Al” Steinberger, Capt. Dallas Adams, Master Sgt. George Griffith, Tech. Sgt. John Funkhouser, Staff Sgt. Tim Hinchman, and Staff Sgt. Fred Jones.
Sigler says there are only four airmen in the unit remaining who were around in 1992 when the crash occurred.
