UNIONVILLE, MO -- Saturday will mark the 48th anniversary of the crash of Continental Airlines Flight 11. On May 22, 1962, the Boeing 707 traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles crashed in Putnam County near Unionville, killing all 37 passengers and 8 crew members on board.
Melissa Ruck was only 8-years-old when her father was killed in the crash.
“You just live with this every single day, it's just part of who you are” said Ruck. "I remember going to the airport with my mother and she dropped him off. He kissed everyone goodbye and he turned around and said I’ll see you later and that was it, that’s what I remember."
Investigation later revealed that a bomb was the cause of the crash. The incident was considered the first domestic terrorist attack ever in the United States and later shaped security measures at most airports around the country.
On Saturday, there will be a memorial at 1:00 p.m. on the northeast corner of the Putnam County Courthouse grounds. A black granite wall will be revealed with the engraved names of the crew and passengers killed in the crash.
“Knowing these people are working very hard to bring this together might bring a little closure” said Ruck. “There should be a memorial for this and for the victims.”
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