SHIRLEY, NY — Suffolk officials and the Families of TWA 800 Association will host a 30th anniversary memorial service Friday ay Smith Point County Park in Shirley to pay tribute to the passengers and crew of the ill-fated TWA Flight 800.
TWA Flight 800 crashed around 11 miles off Smith Point Beach at around 8:30 p.m. on July 17, 1996.
The family association's Myles Quinn, who is the supervisor of the Brentwood Fire District and was chief of Suffolk's Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services at the time of the crash, said he was probably the first county person to arrive at the U.S. Coast Guard station in East Moriches, a staging area for the rescue, then recovery boats.
He said the ceremony will include the association's president, John Seaman, who lost his niece in the crash, and about 100 other families from all over. There will also be a contingent from Montoursville, PA, which suffered the loss of teenagers on a school trip.
Families across the U.S., as well as Europe, lost a total of 230 loved ones in the crash.
A memorial has been erected at Smith Point, and the families gather there each year to mark the anniversary, placing white roses in the ocean. It's not uncommon to see flowers floating in the ocean in the days leading up to the ceremony and after.
Despite the significance of the anniversary, Quinn expects the ceremony to be "very laid back."
The ceremony will be supported by the association, which includes community members associated with the county.
"All of these people are good people — committed," he said. "They will be here for the families."
Friday's ceremony will begin at around 7:45 p.m.
This story will be updated. Check back later.
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