CONTACT INFORMATION:
Mt. Tom B-17 Memorial Committee
Rick Lee, press contact
(413) 535-6718
raalee@outlook.com
RELEASE DATE: Immediate
Remembrance of Servicemen lost in 1946 B-17 Crash
Open to the public tribute
Holyoke, Massachusetts, June 30, 2023 — The annual remembrance of the June 9,
1946, B-17 crash which took the lives of twenty-five young men returning from World
War II will be held Saturday July 8th, 2023, at the Memorial site on Mt. Tom in
Holyoke. The memorial committee and a few family members of those who die will be
in attendance.
On July 9, 1946, twenty-five young men from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Air
Corps, U.S. Public Health Service and American Red Cross died as they were returning
from World War II when their B-17 crashed into the side of Mt Tom in Holyoke in a
heavy rainstorm. No one survived.
At 10 am on Saturday, July 8th, 2023, a remembrance will take place, as it has for the
last twenty-seven years since the erection of a Monument. The event serves to
remembrance of the sacrifice of those who died there and to pay tribute to those who
serve our country today. While anyone may walk the steep trail to the site at any
time, free transportation is provided once a year on this day, along with seating,
shade, water, and personal facilities. The public is welcome to attend the brief but
poignant ceremony.
Organizers ask that attendees arrive at 8:30 AM to allow time to shuttle to the site for
the 10:00 am ceremony. Parking at the base of the mountain can be accessed by Mt.
Park Rd followed by a right turn to Mt. Tom Ski Rd.
For more information visit the Mt. Tom B-17 Memorial website at:
https://www.mttommemorial.org