Forty years after his brother died in the Dec. 12, 1985, air crash at Gander, Newfoundland, Kenneth Duckworth stood in front of a stone marker etched with dozens of names at Hopkinsville’s Gander Memorial Park. He ran his fingertips over the letters of his brother’s name — James Frederick Duckworth.
Immediately, his touch prompted connections with several people among hundreds who gathered Friday for the 40th anniversary memorial service.
“Hey, this is Duckworth’s brother,” said one veteran who motioned for others to join them.
One by one, they approached him to share memories of Staff Sgt. Duckworth.
“He was a great NCO.”
“He took care of his men.”
“He was one of the best.”
Duckworth was one of the 248 Army soldiers headed home to Fort Campbell for Christmas with their families when the chartered jet crashed shortly after taking off from the Gander airport following a refueling stop. There were no survivors.
U.S. and Canadian investigative panels ruled that ice on the wings caused the crash. However, that finding is still disputed by some who suggested other factors, including a possible terror attack.
Friday’s service also marked the unveiling of several improvements and additions to Gander Memorial Park on Fort Campbell Boulevard at Pennyrile Parkway — a project overseen by the Christian County Military Affairs Committee and funded by roughly 50 benefactors.
Committee member Philip Eastman — whose father, Capt. Michael Eastman, died in the Gander crash — credited Wicked Kolors concrete construction company president Isaiah Pride with creative elements in the park’s upgrades.
An eternal flame burns atop a 17-foot monument engraved with a quote from Gen. George S. Patton Jr.: “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”
Two eagle statues stand at the entrance to the park. Improvements include easier access for visitors using wheelchairs.
In his comments for the memorial service, Mayor James R. Knight Jr., said the eternal flame represents a “promise” that Hopkinsville will never forget the 248 soldiers who died at Gander. They were returning to Fort Campbell following a six-month deployment to the Sinai Peninsula in support of the Multinational Force and Observers to enforce the Egypt-Israel treaty. Most of the soldiers were from the 3rd Battalion, 502 Infantry Regiment.
Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam said, “We will never let time erase their names.”
The Military Affairs Committee, an office of the Christian County Chamber of Commerce, organizes a commemorative service at Gander Memorial Park every year on the anniversary of the crash. This year every soldier’s name was read aloud.
Because it was a milestone anniversary, a much larger audience attended the service this year. A reception for family members and veterans followed at Casey Jones Distillery.
Two veterans who remembered serving with Staff Sgt. Duckworth — Stan Hardegree and Doug Woods — spoke with Hoptown Chronicle about their time together at Fort Campbell in the early 1980s.
- RELATED: Hopkinsville sculptor created works for two memorials honoring soldiers who died in Gander crash
Woods, who drove down from his home in Cincinnati, said Duckworth was his squad leader.
“He obviously cared for us,” said Woods, who met Duckworth’s niece, Army veteran Catherine Rainwater.
Stan Hardegree was Duckworth’s platoon leader at Fort Campbell. He recalled his dedication to other soldiers.
He often offered extra training on his time off to help others prepare for tests, he said.
Kenneth Duckworth said his brother loved the military.
The brothers visited shortly before Staff Sgt. Duckworth deployed on the peacekeeping mission.
Kenneth Duckworth stayed for a night. They shared a dinner.
When he last saw his brother, he was wearing his dress blue uniform.
“He was a real G.I. Joe, but he was also human,” he said. “He was proud to serve.”
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
