Officials with the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission announced on Wednesday that they're planning to build a memorial for the victims of a mid-air crash at a Dallas air show.
The crash occurred in November, when a B-17 Bomber and Bell P-63 Kingcobra crashed into each other during the "Wings over Dallas" airshow.
Killed in that collision were airmen Terry Barker, Leonard Root, Curtis Rowe, Craig Hutain, Dan Ragan, and Kevin Michels. There were no survivors.
The vintage B-17 was based in Conroe as part of the group the Texas Raiders, so the crew was well known to members of the commission.
Chairman Jimmie Edwards III said he wanted to find a way to memorialize the crew and their mission after hearing about the crash.
“Being inspired by that, we decided we needed to memorialize those pilots that passed in the tragic crash but also memorialize the B-17,” Edwards said. “The history of the great plane and the legacy that was the Texas Raiders.”
Bakers Signs, a custom sign company in the Houston area, is helping commission members come up with a design for the memorial.
The centerpiece of the project will be a 1:8 scale model of the B-17. Edwards said they’re also using technology to create an immersive experience for visitors.
“It’ll have LCD screens embedded into the monument that are going to show videos of our nation's history,” Williams said. “It’ll show the many service members that were involved in the legacy of the B-17.”
The monument will also have a QR Code visitors can scan to learn more about the plane, its history, and the people who flew it.
Elizabeth Woods, office manager with the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission, said the memorial will be a place for the families of the victims as well.
”We here at the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission want you to know you're not alone,” Woods said. “You’ll never be alone. Now you'll have somewhere to come and visit and remember.”
The monument will be the newest part of the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park in Conroe. The commission said they’re planning to unveil the monument at a ceremony on October 8, 2023, at 1 p.m.
For more information on the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission or the park itself, click here.
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