Before Mark Powell talks about the brother he lost back in a 1985 plane crash that claimed 248 U.S. soldiers returning from a peacekeeping mission in the Middle East, the St. Charles man asks for a little time to compose himself.
“To this day,” he admits a moment later, “I still cry.”
Understandably.
That tragedy, one of the deadliest aviation disasters in North American history, not only claimed the life of his 27-year-old brother Barry, Powell was on base at Fort Campbell when word came the plane bringing these soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division home for the Christmas holidays had crashed after taking off from Gander, Newfoundland, where it had stopped to refuel for its final leg to Kentucky.
Mark Powell, 26 at the time, was at Fort Campbell on Dec. 12, 1985 – along with hundreds of spouses, parents and children who had been preparing welcome-home celebrations – when the news hit.
“It was definitely,” he says, “the saddest day of my life.”
But Powell, who comes from a long military line and retired as a lieutenant colonel himself, also recalls the moment nearly a quarter-century after the fatal crash when he knew exactly how he could honor his brother’s legacy. In 2009, after complaining about Memorial Day activities being cancelled in St. Charles, Powell was told by the event organizer, “then you take it over.”
And so he did – becoming the force behind the scenes and often the face in front of the crowds for these activities, which include the city’s early Monday morning flag ceremony, veterans community fundraising breakfast, downtown Memorial Day parade and the memorial service that wraps up these holiday activities.
“For as long as I can remember, Mark has been the driving force behind Memorial Day in St. Charles, ensuring our community has a proper and solemn ceremony to remember those who gave their life for our country,” says Jacob Zimmerman, superintendent of Kane County’s Veterans Assistance Commission. “Anytime there is an unmet need for a veteran, Mark has stepped forward to assist, without hesitation or recognition.”
For Powell, who considered his brother “my best friend,” the reason is simple. “I love Memorial Day,” insists the 65-year-old husband and father of four children, including three sons who are following in their father’s military footsteps.
These public events are an “important outlet” for those who have lost a loved one because “healing comes from it,” says Powell, recalling the mother who approached him after a ceremony with two small boys in hand and tears in eyes over the husband who had died the previous year.
“I look around during the service. You can see those out there who are experiencing healing. It is very powerful.”
A history of serving
Powell, the grandson of a World War II Navy vet and son of a career Army officer who served two tours in Vietnam, lived all over the world.
After graduating from high school in Panama, he enlisted in the U.S. Army for two years, then went through the ROTC program in college and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He served 28 years – half of that on active duty as a helicopter pilot, the other half in the active reserves as a planning officer.
“It was a grand adventure. I feel grateful and blessed,” Powell says. “When people thank us for our service, I always wonder, who do we get to thank? It is such an honor to serve this country.”
And it is critical, he adds, to remember those who died while doing so.
A senior in college at the time, Powell was driving to Fort Campbell to pick up his brother from a six-month tour in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula when he heard about the crash of Arrow Air Flight 1285 over the radio. As he entered the base, he fibbed and said his mother and father were out of the country in order to to be told more details about this crash, that remains the worst single peacetime loss of life for the U.S. military.
“My brother and I just had a special bond,” says Powell, adding that the family had to wait for months to get Barry’s remains, but that the Army made an extraordinary effort to provide full military funeral honors for all 248 victims.
“To this day when I hear taps,” he adds, “it rips me up.”
But like many veterans I’ve spoken with over the years, Powell is concerned the meaning of Memorial Day is being lost. While he appreciates “the great job St. Charles does” and those in the community who turn out for events, he also knows younger veterans here and across the country “are not getting as involved,” and that we often think of this national holiday as the start of summer more than a time to honor the fallen.
Still, “it is easy to forgive those who don’t get involved because they have not suffered the same kind of loss,” he acknowledges. “If one person comes out to these events, we will continue them,” he said.
“I know this is my mission. And I feel so privileged to do it.”
Among Powell’s fans is St. Charles Mayor Clint Hull, who is well aware of the work this veteran does behind the scenes, not just for fellow vets but for seniors and children in need.
His work on Memorial Day, says Hull, “is just one of many examples … he gives and gives and gives to make sure we recognize and celebrate others.”
That’s because Powell, now an estate and financial planner, firmly believes “you don’t have to wear a uniform to serve your country.
“We can all make a difference, even by participating,” he says. “These events are so important for our communities and our nation.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
