Collection Summary“On a quiet night, nine miles north of Harlem, Montana the lives of thirteen airmen were lost when two C-147b Starlifter Cargo Planes collided. The thirteen crew members for McChord Air Force Base were on a low-level refueling exercise on that fateful night on November 30th, 1992.
Though the thirteen who gave their lives in service to their country are mourned deeply, the community of Harlem and its surrounding area were united in the outpouring of love and generosity to those who came to bring them home with dignity.
The question we always ask is ‘Why’? We don’t have the answer, but worship the One who does.”
– Inscription on the Airmen Memorial.
This collection contains photos of the C-147b Starlifter Cargo Plane crash that took place in Harlem, Montana on November 30th, 1992, as well as photos of the dedicated community members who worked hard on constructing a memorial, so that this tragic accident may never be forgotten.
Blaine County Museum heartily thanks Darwin Zellmer, the Harlem Airmen Memorial Committee, and the Harlem Public Library for diligently collecting and preserving this collection for three decades, and for their cooperation in its digitization for the Montana History Portal.
![Deputy Kevin Spudic reading "High Flight Poem"](/img/placeholder.gif?1724357541 "Deputy Kevin Spudic reading "High Flight Poem"")
