EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A rededication ceremony took place June 14, 2016, at
Memorial Park in DeBary, Fla., to celebrate the refurbishing of an F-15 Eagle
static display in honor of Airman 1st Class Brian McVeigh.
McVeigh was a native of DeBary who was killed in the Khobar
Towers terrorist attack June 25, 1996, while deployed to Saudi Arabia from the
33rd Fighter Wing as an F-15 crew chief.
“The 33rd FW lost a lot of people in the Khobar Towers
attack,” Tech. Sgt. Jody Mann, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief,
said. “Being able to represent the 33rd FW and to come here and let Brian’s
family and hometown know they have our support means a lot to me and I hope it
means a lot to them, too.”
Brian was remembered by his step father James Wetmore as a
large, strong and religious young man who was always respectful of his elders.
“I think this is wonderful and very touching,” Wetmore said.
“Ever since that week that Brian lost his life we have had nothing but
support.”
The bombing at Khobar Towers was the first terrorist attack
of its kind and resulted in more than 500 civilian and military casualties. The
33rd FW suffered 105 wounded personnel and accounted for 12 of the 19 Airmen
killed on that day.
“Every year the nomad’s hold a memorial service in honor of
the 19 Airmen who lost their lives in the bombing at Khobar Towers,” Mann said.
“As a young Airman the weight of their sacrifice took some time to sink in. It
wasn’t until my first deployment to Iraq that I gained an understanding of it:
the dedication, the Nomad pride.
“Thank you for remembering our Nomads who have ceased their
wandering. Never forget the price they paid.”
The 33rd Fighter Wing will host a
ceremony commemorating the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Khobar Towers
terrorist attack at 8 a.m. June 24, 2016, on the Nomad Memorial Grounds, here.