[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 18, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                             TWA FLIGHT 800

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 17, 2000

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the families of those 
passengers killed in TWA Flight 800. It has been four years since the 
Boeing 747 exploded over the ocean, 10 miles from Smith Point Park in 
Long Island, killing all 229 passengers and crew. Yesterday, the 
families of those aboard came together on the anniversary of the July 
17, 1996, crash to remember their loved ones and to break ground on the 
memorial that will honor the memory of all those who were lost on that 
fateful night four years ago.
  The memorial will have the names of all 229 people killed on Flight 
800 chiseled into a curving slab of black granite, the centerpiece of a 
2-acre garden that is scheduled for completion on the fifth anniversary 
of the crash one year from now. The memorial will provide a place for 
the families of the victims to go and pay tribute to their loved ones.
  These families will always remember the day the jet burst into flames 
at about 8:45 p.m. and then plummeted into the dark waters. What ensued 
was a massive search over five square miles of debris in the open 
ocean. Hours later, the Coast Guard and rescue workers began the sad, 
sad task of turning their rescue mission into a recovery mission.
  While the cause of the crash remains uncertain, the end result is 
still the same. Families that were once happy and complete still 
experience a deep sense of loss that endures. Life will continue for 
the parents, husbands, wives and children of those lost and though the 
years will pass, these families will never again be whole.
  On this anniversary of TWA Flight 800, I encourage everyone to pause 
and remember the victims and their families. Remember those who waited 
so many hours only to learn that there was no hope for survivors. These 
are the people that struggle to make it through every day without those 
who were lost. For most of us, the events of that day have begun to 
fade into vague memory. For the families devastated by this tragedy, 
the memories will be forever vivid and full of pain. Let us take this 
day to rededicate ourselves to the memory of those lost on this day in 
1996.

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