10 Years Ago, TWA Flight 800 crash anniversary (2006)

[Shelley935]

Knucklecurve35
Media Police
Posts: 16854
(7/20/06 1:43 pm)
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Ten Years Ago
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www.newsday.com/news/specials/nyt-800box20,0,6241906.story

Mussina reflects on his town's tragedy
BY BOB HERZOG
Newsday Staff Writer

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Mike Mussina has total recall about July 17, 1996, the day TWA Flight 800 crashed off the coast of Suffolk County.

The current Yankees pitcher was a member of the rival Baltimore Orioles that summer and then, as now, is a resident of Montoursville, Pa., hometown of 21 of the deceased passengers.

"I still remember where I was when I heard about it," Mussina said before Tuesday's game at Yankee Stadium. "We had taken a flight [from Baltimore] to Boston and when I got to the hotel I happened to have my girlfriend at the time and her daughter with me. [They are now his wife and step-daughter.]

"We got to the hotel late – I want to say 2:30 in the morning – and we flipped on the TV. You didn't have to turn on CNN – just turn on the TV and it was on every channel."

Mussina was stunned when he saw the scroll across the bottom of the TV screen. "I'm saying, 'Man, what's going on!' I see something about the high school French class from Pennsylvania and then they put something there about Montoursville and I said, 'That can't be right.'"
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I watched the memorial service on CNN that was held in NY on Monday. There was nothing formal or structered - only family and friends gathering to comfort each other. It's hard to believe it was 10 years ago.

[Shelley935]

Mooserulz
Hall-of-Famer
Posts: 4548
(7/20/06 3:12 pm)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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It's hard to believe it's been ten years since that happened. I remember when I started reading about Mike that the kids on the flight were from Montoursville. That's a horrible blow for such a small town.

I hope they have been able to heal.

[Shelley935]

BloomsRose
ImpossiblePrincess
Posts: 591
(7/20/06 3:36 pm)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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I remember this well. It was right before the Olympics were due to start. I remember staying up most of the night sobbing in my room; when things like this happen, it hits me hard, even if I don't know anyone affected.

[Shelley935]

MooseFanCM
Southern Fried Yankees Fan
Posts: 3163
(7/20/06 4:45 pm)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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Here's a link to an article Buster Olney wrote about Mike and his response to this tragedy.

www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n9_v221/ai_19182461

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Several weeks after the crash, Mussina sat down and wrote the names of 21 neighbors inside his cap. A reporter asked him about it, and he explained, "This is my way of remembering them."

He said nothing about it to his parents. During the playoffs, a friend asked Malcolm Mussina about letters he had seen inside Mike's cap. "I didn't know what he had written," says Malcolm Mussina. "I could guess."

"I'm sure he'll keep that one forever. He does that kind of stuff."

[snip]

There is a big hole in Montoursville, and it will never be filled.
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Ten years later, I'm sure that hole is still there.

[Shelley935]

Shelley935
~ ML35 Owner and Caretaker ~
Posts: 23264
(7/21/06 11:11 am)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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Wow, 10 years? I can't believe it's been 10 years.

There is a very touching memorial to the Montoursville residents who were lost in that crash at the high school. I can't remember if I ever posted any pictures of the statue...it's quite touching and sad.

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Several weeks after the crash, Mussina sat down and wrote the names of 21 neighbors inside his cap. A reporter asked him about it, and he explained, "This is my way of remembering them."
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If you have any videos of Mike's last 1996 starts, you can see the writing inside his cap. I recall the commentators in either the ALDS or ALCS (or perhaps both) making a point of commenting on that very personal tribute, and several times while Mike was on the mound, the camera zoomed in on his cap, trying to get a shot of the names.

[Shelley935]

Knucklecurve35
Media Police
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(7/21/06 2:05 pm)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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Ten years later, I'm sure that hole is still there.
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I recall him saying that around the holidays, it's still very tough on everybody. Montoursville is one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone else.

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I can't remember if I ever posted any pictures of the statue...it's quite touching and sad.
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You may have, but it would have been before I started hanging out at the "old" site. The one time I did manage to get to the high school, it was too dark for any of my photos to come out.

[Shelley935]

Shelley935
~ ML35 Owner and Caretaker ~
Posts: 23271
(7/23/06 10:18 pm)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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You may have, but it would have been before I started hanging out at the "old" site.
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I never posted the pictures at my MCM site. I think I might have posted them here, but they were probably lost in the ez-crash last year.

[Shelley935]

cdm71998
Ace Reporter
Posts: 2439
(7/23/06 11:21 pm)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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This article from Newsday was about Montoursville specifically. It had pictures of all the memorials there and at the high school. If I can't find it on the website, I'll scan the paper.

A Town Still Grieving

www.newsday.com/news/spec...9595.story

[Shelley935]

Mooserulz
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(7/24/06 9:49 am)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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Carissa, thanks for sharing the article. It really gave a sense for what life is like in Montoursville and the impact the tragedy has had on the residents.

[Shelley935]

moosefan68
Mad Doc
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(7/24/06 10:46 am)
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Re: Ten Years Ago
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I remember waking up that night 10 years ago to a television set flashing scenes of burning wreckage bobbing up and down the Long Island coast. It was both surreal and saddening. I had no idea until recently that some of the victims were from Moose's hometown. It must have been a difficult anniversary to commemorate for all concerned.