HOLYOKE – On July 20, a 73rd anniversary memorial service of the Mt. Tom B-17 “Flying Fortress” crash in Holyoke will be hosted at Mt. Tom in Holyoke. The memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. at the site of the monument commemorating the event.

The service will honor the 25 men who lost their lives after a B-17 crashed on July 9, 1946. At 10:21 p.m. on that day, a B-17 “Flying Fortress” bomber that was converted into a transport plane crashed into the southeast slope of Mt.  Tom. The servicemen were returning home after serving in Greenland during World War II. There were no survivors in the crash. The passengers included 15 Coast Guardsmen, 4 Army Air Corps servicemen, 1 Red Cross official, 1 US Public Health Corps medical doctor and 4 Army Air Corps crewmembers. The B-17’s destination was Westover Field.

The monument, located at the southeast side of Mt. Tom, was erected 50 years later and dedicated on July 6, 1996. The memorial includes the names etched in stone of the 25 men lost in the crash, a B-17 airplane, seals representing each of the service branches on the flight and a description of the accident. Each year, a memorial service is hosted at the location of the monument. The memorial also includes a path lined with 26 birch trees to represent each serviceman and Dorothy Warm Stettner – sister of serviceman Alfred Warm.

The monument was a project streamlined by Holyoke resident Norman Cote, who worked alongside veteran’s services members in Holyoke and Easthampton. The group worked to contact family members of those lost in the tragedy and completed the monument, which has stood at the site for over two decades.

Jesus Pereira, director of Holyoke Veteran Services, told Reminder Publishing that he feels it’s important for the city of Holyoke to honor the servicemen lost in the crash with a memorial service each year.

“Part of it is that this particular incident is Holyoke history. It’s something that happened here. It’s to pay tribute to those who have served our country. It reminds us that we live fruitful lives because of their liberties,” Pereira said.

On July 20, family members of the servicemen, veterans, military personnel, members of the Mt. Tom Memorial Committee and the community will join together for the brief service in the event’s memory.

“For me, it’s about getting the community engaged and coming out to see our history and seeing the people who travel across the country to tell their story and remember their loved ones,” Pereira said.

For those interested in attending the memorial service, entry will be at Mt. Park Road in Holyoke and signs will direct guests to the location. A shuttle service will also be provided to the memorial site. Shuttles will begin at 8 a.m. To attend the ceremony, guests are asked to arrive no later than 9:30 a.m. for shuttle service.

For more information about the monument and the events of the B-17 “Flying Fortress” crash, visit www.mttommemorial.org.