Timothy H. Bishop: “I rise on the solemn occasion of the 11th anniversary of the crash of TWA Flight 800. Many Americans remember where they…”

“I rise on the solemn occasion of the 11th anniversary of the crash of TWA Flight 800. Many Americans remember where they were when they heard the shocking and tragic news about Flight 800 when it crashed off the southern shore of Long Island 11 years ago tomorrow, on the evening of July 17, 1996, claiming the lives of all 230 passengers and crew on board. The event remains one of the worst air disasters in history and led to one of the most costly and extended investigations to date. Today, that loss is still felt by hundreds of families whose loved ones perished but are remembered by the breathtaking monument to their lives that extends along the grounds of East Moriches, Long Island, overlooking the waters of the Atlantic Ocean where the plane fell. Tomorrow, we honor the memory of those who perished, just moments after taking off from JFK International Airport bound for Paris. Some of the victims were on their way home; many were high school students on the first leg of an international field trip; and some were on the way to visit loved ones. Just as the families who lost their loved ones to the crash deserve to be remembered, so do each of Long Island's emergency personnel, volunteers and neighbors who selflessly responded to the crash and who worked tirelessly over the next several days and weeks following the disaster to assist with the search and recovery efforts.”