Fallen Nomads remembered at annual Khobar Towers memorial

  • Published
  • 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Nomads, Team Eglin military, family members and the local community gathered again June 25, at the 33rd Fighter Wing, to remember the Airmen who didn't return home from deployment to Operation Southern Watch 17 years ago.

Of those 19 fallen Airmen, 12 were from the wing. An eight-foot granite wall etched with portraits of each one with their names create an arch around a flaming sword at the wing's memorial site. They, plus 105 wounded Nomads, were victims of a terrorist attack on Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudia Arabia .

"Still the flame of rememberence we see here continues to burn bright signifying their service still matters years later," said Col. Todd Canterbury, 33rd FW commander. "Not only is this gathering place a marker in time, but also a living memorial. Throughout each year, as various people pass through, it is common to see flowers, wreaths, or special tokens show up at the foot of these stately works of art."

The five-foot sword is made of steel and beryllium with natural gas feeding the flame. It rises above a 3,000 pound granite stand in the center of a six-foot diameter reflecting pool.

Lt. Col. Brian Henson, program manager for the B61 nuclear weapon modernization program stationed at Eglin, experienced the tragic event first hand and holds these fallen Airmen special to him. He shared his reflection with those attending the annual memorial service.

"The experience we went through was a feeble attempt by an ignorant enemy, striking like a coward while our troops were asleep," the keynote speaker said. "Their attempt to break the American spirit only made us stronger and more vigilant."

He shared his description of that night as what sounded like thunder on the flightline. Then Henson saw a plume of smoke from the direction of the main base.

"The team reacted like professionals; no tears, no fear," he said. "They were ready to launch while securing the area, munitions and personnel."

However, when military members arrived at their hangar as the evacation point from their demolished dorms, Henson said maintaining composure was "a true test of leadership."

Although the injuries, mainily from shards of glass, he said were something like he had never seen before, the wounded warriors were "brave and strong willed."

In the 33rd FW headquarters building there are two display cases are filled with artifacts telling the story of the dormitory bombing. A scrapbook with handwritten letters from those who sent condolences is also on display. Many are from various Americans simply addressed to "the survivors of the bombing in Saudi..." knowing it would make its way to the correct unit on Eglin.

"As you can imagine, this event struck a chord not only with the Mightly Gorillas of the (deployed) 58th Fighter Squadron and our wing, but across the nation and beyond," said Canterbury. "Your reverence to these fallen and time spent here this morning are typical of the importance you place on the 'caring for people' part of our calling."

In 1992, Operation Southern Watch was initiated in response to UN Security Council Resolution 688 demanding that Saddam Hussein end the violent repression of Iraqi civilians. The UN mandate called for the enforcement of the no-fly zone below the 32rd parallel, protecting the Shi'a minorities in the southern parts of Iraq.

On 25 June 1996, a terrorist truck bomb exploded outside the northern perimeter of the U.S. portion of the Khobar Towers housing complex, a facility housing Air Force, Army and other allied forces supporting the coalition air operation over Iraq. The explosion killed 19 Air Force service members and injured more than 400.