We loaded up the second main body flight from McCord AFB, Wa heading for Cairo. That return flight 1285 that carried 248 Soldiers of the 101st, that crashed in Ganders, Newfoundland. A very sad moment in our lives. Read more at http://www.sandford.org/gandercrash/main/index.shtml
My additional notes; I perhaps have the last known photo of the Arrow Air plane as we were loading in McChord AFB, Dec 11, 1985. I even took one of the small brown blankets, not knowing it was going to turn out like this. I still have it today. I was on the second main body of the 3/60th Infantry from Fort Lewis. I noticed the planes interior was in bad shape and the carpet on the flooring was worn down to the metal. The latrine leaked and the coffee maker didn't work. We took all the runway to take off. We stopped in Ganders and the flight crew had bottles of Jack Daniels in their arms. Midway during our Atlantic leg we took a huge dip as in a roller coaster ride. We were only in Cologne for 45 minutes. We had to find a knife to try opening the baggage compartment in Cairo. There was only one lone Egyptian Soldier on guard. After arriving at South Camp later the next day, we were told the news. This led to a painful six months there.