See a new documentary that explores the Arrow Air disaster, more than 35 years later
A 1985 crash in Gander claimed the lives of 256 souls. This documentary explores how they’re remembered
Although many in Newfoundland and Labrador may be familiar with the story of the tragic crash of Arrow Air Flight 1285 in December 1985, few are aware of the continuing connections between Gander and the families of the fallen.
They may not also know how the crash inspired a program on post-traumatic stress disorder that the U.S. military uses to this day.
Their stories are featured in Rendezvous with Destiny: Arrow Air Flight 1285 Remembered, a documentary that will air Saturday evening on CBC's Absolutely Canadian series, and available online here and through CBC's Gem streaming service.
Some 256 lives were lost in the crash, made more tragic by the fact that that the soldiers of the U.S. Army Airborne 101st division were headed home for Christmas, after a six-month peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula. Eight crew members were among the dead.
Some soldiers had swapped places, allowing men with small children to get home earlier and start their Christmas holidays. Many men who were supposed be on that flight are haunted by that decision and the doc touches on the difficulties they face. The emotion can be heard in their voices and seen in their expressions, even 35 years later.
Sgt. Michael Rahr was one of the men given a seat to get home to see his infant daughter Kristina. He called his wife Tina from the Gander airport just minutes before the accident. His last words were "I gotta go, I don't want to miss my plane." His daughter Kristina is interviewed in the film with her mother.
Amy Gallo lost her husband, Staff-Sgt. Richard Nicols, that day. With so many dead, she said, grieving was difficult.
"When I became a widow there were so many of us, I couldn't have any support from my friends or give any support because we were all widows, but what started there, started the care programs for the U.S. military."
The families of the Arrow Air deceased also attend memorial services that connect Gander and Fort Campbell every year on Dec. 12. This year will be the 36th anniversary.
Tina Cook and Kristina Weston went to the 25th memorial and by happenstance met the man who Kristina says was her dad's best friend on the Sinai. She said the memorial was an amazing experience.
Every year, Gander streams a remembrance service to Fort Campbell, keeping the bond tight between first responders, like retired RCMP corporal Lindsay Fraser and retired military policeman Bob Smith, and the families of the fallen.
That bond is commemorated by a living tree memorial on the base at Fort Campbell.
The park was started by Toronto teenager Janice Nikkel, who wrote a letter to the Toronto Star and started a movement to plant 256 maples.
Many people will be familiar with the Silent Witness Memorial on the crash site in Gander and the recent renaming of a section of the Trans-Canada Highway to Remembrance Way inspired by Smith, a member of the Canadian Forces military police who was called to investigate the crash 35 years ago.
The documentary, directed by Wes Holmes, gives us another reason to celebrate the tremendous work of first responders in the Gander area.
Rendezvous with Destiny: Arrow Air Flight 1285 Remembered will debut Sept. 18 on CBC Television, and can be watched on demand on Gem, CBC's free streaming service.
Click the player above to see the documentary now.
