TWA Flight 800 Victims, Rescue Effort Remembered On Long Island

SHIRLEY, NY — TWA Flight 800 exploded and broke apart midair over Long Island one hot and muggy evening in July 1996, and none of the 230 passengers and crew aboard survived after it crashed down into the Atlantic Ocean just off Moriches Inlet.

It’s a day not to be forgotten by the families of those who perished on the ill-fated flight and those who desperately tried to save them in the hours that followed. On Saturday, the 25th anniversary of the flight, the victims were remembered during a ceremony at the TWA Flight 800 International Memorial at Smith Point County Park in Shirley.

“To the emergency response community, and first responders, July 17, 1996, is one of those events that anyone who responded that night, will carry it with them to their graves,” said David Fischler, who was commissioner of Suffolk County’s Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services at the time.

The plane took off from John F. Kennedy International bound for Rome, Italy, with a stop in Paris, France, but it exploded about 10 minutes later. The rescue effort was something that Long Island has never experienced before — on a massive scale with the response of scores of police and local firefighters, as well as federal and state agencies on the scene.

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The 230 dead included 15 students on a French class trip from Montoursville, Pennsylvania. Locally, there was Eric and Virginia Holst, who lived in Manorville. In a recent interview, Virginia’s mother, Luz Palaez, said: “It’s been 25 years, and it is still very difficult to realize that my daughter is not here anymore.”

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Gratitude For The Selflessness And Compassion Shown By First Responders

John Seaman, whose niece, Michelle Becker, was lost in the crash, said, “God, bless the divers — those men who risked their lives to bring our loved ones back.”

“If any of them are here tonight, we owe you eternal gratitude, and if there are any within the sound of my voice, God bless you,” he said. “We love you.”

Seaman said the families pray every morning for the first responders involved in the rescue and recovery effort.

“Thank you very much, you guys,” he added.

The Investigation

There have been different theories over the years as to how the plane exploded, including that a missile targeted the flight. That was ruled out by investigators and National Transportation Safety Board investigators later determined the explosion originated in a fuel tank.

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A Lasting Tribute

Completed in 2004, the memorial is set on a hill with two entrances, including a long walkway with the flags of the victims’ home countries — flown at half staff for the ceremony.

Inside there is a granite wall inscribed with the names of the victims on one side. Etched on the other side, there is a wave with birds ascending into the sky, but on Saturday, the same as every memorial, there were two memorial wreaths placed at the site — one for the passengers, the other for the crew members manning the flight.

The enclosure is surrounded by expertly maintained landscaping, flagstones, and benches dedicated to loved ones and first responders. The landscaping has been donated by the nursery at Independent Group Home Living and it is maintained periodically by the Suffolk County Parks Department. It is accessible to visitors all year round.

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Peter Goelz, former managing director of the NTSB, recalled speaking with Fire Department of New York Chaplain Father Mychal Judge, who himself was killed five years later responding to the World Trade Center terror attacks, the day he officiated at the first memorial service at Smith Point, which was the closest point to the wreckage, and how he remarked it was “the perfect spot.”

“In the end, what a beautiful memorial it is,” Goelz added.

The ceremony concluded by the reading of all 230 names of the dead.

As the names were read, some families and first responders, quietly left, others took white carnations, walked down the sand, and tossed them into the ocean waves.

Forever By The Sea, But Also In Their Hearts

Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Rob Calarco, who was just a teenager living upstate at the time of the crash, said he believes that attending the yearly memorial ceremony helps the families with healing.

He credited everyone involved with its upkeep for continuing to make sure that it stays in the great condition that it is, “so that it can be a place to come to any time, not just now, but any time throughout the year.”

“I think that it is something that is so wonderful that we are able to do,” he added.

Additional Reporting by Lisa Finn. Produced by Peggy Spellman Hoey, Lisa Finn, David Allen, and Peggy Bayard.