On January 13, 1982, an Air Florida Boeing 737-222 plunged into
the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., killing 78 people. The
crash, caused by bad weather, took place only two miles from
the White House.
The Air Florida flight took off from Washington National Airport
in Arlington, Virginia, with 74 passengers and 5 crew members
on board. The plane had flown into Washington from Miami in
the early afternoon and was supposed to return to Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida, after a short stop.
CAMILLE BOHANNON
Buster (Joseph Frank) Keaton
(October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966)
1926…Filmed in Oregon
United Flight 173 was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Portland International
Airport in Oregon. The jet ran out of fuel while troubleshooting
a landing gear problem and crashed in a suburban neighborhood
east of the city at 157th and Burnside. Ten passengers were killed
and 175 survived.
The crash site as it looks today.
Alton Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904 – disappeared December 15, 1944)
Glenn Miller was a big-band trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader
in the swing era. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1942,
leading one of the best-known big bands. Miller’s recordings include "In the
Mood", "Moonlight Serenade", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "Chattanooga Choo
Choo", "A String of Pearls", "At Last", "(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo",
"American Patrol", "Tuxedo Junction", "Elmer’s Tune", and "Little Brown
Jug". In just four years Glenn Miller scored 16 number-one records and 69
top ten hits—more than Elvis Presley (38 top 10s) and the Beatles (33 top -
10s) did in their careers.
In 1942, Miller volunteered to join the U.S. military to entertain troops during
World War II, ending up with the U.S. Army Air Forces. On December 15,
1944, while flying to Paris, Miller’s aircraft disappeared in bad weather over
the English Channel. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
SANDY KOZEL
The United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S.
uniformed services. Initially formed as a part of the United
States Army on 1 August 1907, the USAF was established
as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 18 Sep.
1947 with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947.
The Air Force is the second youngest branch of the U.S.
Armed Forces and the fourth in order of precedence.
