Tweet
I must confess, recently while hiking in our beloved Adirondacks, WE LEFT A TRACE. It is our hope that you, our friends, will forgive us. Let me explain. The infraction occurred recently while bushwhacking with some friends from various forum.
Here’s the quick version, during this bushwhack up a wonderful (and obscure) Adirondack mountain, we came upon a pristine 60 y/o plane wreckage among the trees. It seems that in late 1944, a large Air Force cargo plane went missing during a training flight. A year later the site was discovered and the remains of the three crewmembers were recovered. The rest of the plane has lain in relative obscurity since then.
Here’s what we were thinking. Okay………. Perhaps they didn’t die on the beaches of Normandy, or the sands of Iwo Jima, or the coral rocks of Pelileu, but they did give their lives in defense of this great nation during a most difficult period (WW2) just the same. The locations may differ, but the sacrifice and gifts given are always the same.
When we came upon this site, we just happened to have 3 small (Memorial Day parade-style) American Flags. We placed them in the ground amongst the wreckage and I (silently) gave thanks to their courage and memory. The flags remain on that lonely hillside. It seems all the more appropriate that we did this on Armed Services Day
It is our sincere hope that sometime during this Memorial Day season, that you will take a moment away from hiking, peakbagging, paddling, fishing and so on, and give a moment of thanks to those that have given everything for your right to recreate. I hope you’ll see fit to forgive our transgression and flagrant violation of wilderness ethics.
In loving memory of 2nd Lt. Barohn, 2nd Lt. Pate and T/Sgt. Paska (the 3 service members killed in the crash).
Here’s the quick version, during this bushwhack up a wonderful (and obscure) Adirondack mountain, we came upon a pristine 60 y/o plane wreckage among the trees. It seems that in late 1944, a large Air Force cargo plane went missing during a training flight. A year later the site was discovered and the remains of the three crewmembers were recovered. The rest of the plane has lain in relative obscurity since then.
Here’s what we were thinking. Okay………. Perhaps they didn’t die on the beaches of Normandy, or the sands of Iwo Jima, or the coral rocks of Pelileu, but they did give their lives in defense of this great nation during a most difficult period (WW2) just the same. The locations may differ, but the sacrifice and gifts given are always the same.
When we came upon this site, we just happened to have 3 small (Memorial Day parade-style) American Flags. We placed them in the ground amongst the wreckage and I (silently) gave thanks to their courage and memory. The flags remain on that lonely hillside. It seems all the more appropriate that we did this on Armed Services Day
It is our sincere hope that sometime during this Memorial Day season, that you will take a moment away from hiking, peakbagging, paddling, fishing and so on, and give a moment of thanks to those that have given everything for your right to recreate. I hope you’ll see fit to forgive our transgression and flagrant violation of wilderness ethics.
In loving memory of 2nd Lt. Barohn, 2nd Lt. Pate and T/Sgt. Paska (the 3 service members killed in the crash).
Comment