Bodies of dead servicemen arrive home
June 27, 1996
Web posted at: 3:00 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT)DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware (CNN) -- The mood was somber at Dover Air Force Base Thursday as the bodies of 19 American servicemen killed in Saudi Arabia's deadliest terror attack arrived home.
Grieving family members and top military officials gathered at the base, where they mourned during a private ceremony immediately after the plane landed.
Many of the servicemen had been scheduled to return home on military leave this week.
"I received a Father's Day card from him saying he would be coming home," said Ted Fennig, who was hoping to go fishing with his son, Tech. Sgt. Patrick Fennig.
Officials said the transport plane landed safely about 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT) after flying the bodies from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. An American flag was draped over each casket; 11 of the men have been identified.
Memorial services are scheduled for Sunday at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
President Clinton will attend, cutting short his trip to France, where he is attending a summit with six other industrial nations.
Earlier Thursday, Clinton urged the G-7 powers to fight terrorist attacks: "We must join together to face down a new threat to our freedom," he said. The nations were expected to act on U.S. proposals for fighting terrorism and other world violence.
Some wounded airmen moved
While the servicemen's bodies were flown home, some of the wounded airmen remained hospitalized in Dhahran. The ones most seriously injured were being transported to a U.S. medical center in Germany.
For Air Force Capt. Tom Edman, who was wounded, the memory of the blast is still fresh. (136K AIFF or WAV sound)
"I was just so surprised and shocked," he said. "I really didn't know what to think."
At least four previously unknown groups reportedly have claimed responsibility for the attack, but Pentagon officials said they doubted the claims were genuine.
"Where terrorism is concerned, the first guesses are usually wrong," Secretary of State Warren Christopher said.
The bomb scene was being heavily guarded by Saudi army troops and policemen. Security officials waved away reporters and photographers as FBI and Saudi investigation teams sifted through the debris left by the explosives.
Although there has been speculation about the future safety of the military compound, Maj. Gen. Kurt Anderson deflected the criticism, praising the troops for acting quickly to avoid a further loss of life. (238K AIFF or WAV sound)
"I'm not sure anything went wrong -- a whole lot went right," he said. "We had young men and women perform magnificently in the face of extreme danger."
Related stories:
- General defends safeguards at Saudi complex - June 27, 1996
- Christopher tours Saudi bomb wreckage - June 26, 1996
- Partial list of Americans killed in the blast - June 26, 1996
- Massive bomb rocks U.S. military complex - June 25, 1996
- President Clinton's remarks - June 25, 1996
- November attack in Saudi Arabia - November 13, 1995
Related sites:
- Dover Air Force Base
- Air Force News Service
- U.S. Air Force in Europe
- Patrick Air Force Base
- Eglin Air Force Base
Related newsgroups:
(Certain newsgroups may not be available on your news server)
FeedbackSend us your comments.Selected responses are posted daily. |
|
![[Imagemap]](/WORLD/images/9601/navbar2.gif){kind=small}
Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
