Dear editor,
This is a letter from America. On the morning of Sept. 1, 1983, Korean Airlines Flight 007 was shot down over Sakhalin Island and as a result 269 passengers and crew lost their lives.
It has been 20 years to the day this terrible incident has happened and it seems as if the entire world has forgotten it.
I was stationed in South Korea with the U.S. Army at the time this tragedy occurred, and I certainly remember the tension, sorrow, anger, and shock between Americans and Koreans when it was confirmed that Flight 007 had indeed been shot down.
Koreans and Americans as well should never forget this tragedy and honor those who lost their lives. I truly believe that both our nations became stronger as a result of this tragedy, and hopefully we all learned something from it.
On this anniversary, let us all take a moment in our busy lives and pray for the victims and their families of the tragedy.
Curtis J. Hilyard
Colorado Springs, Colorado
The U.S.