Memorial held for TORQE 62 Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Quay Drawdy
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – --  A memorial run and ceremony were held in honor of the Airmen of TORQE 62 Sept. 30.

Airmen, families and Abilene community members came together in memory of Capt. Jordan Pierson, Capt. Jonathan “JJ” Golden, Staff Sgt. Ryan Hammond and Senior Airman Quinn Johnson-Harris, who were killed in a C-130J Super Hercules crash Oct. 2, 2015 in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

The morning began with a 6.2 mile run, which had more than 500 participants. The distance was picked specifically for its relation to the number portion of the TORQE 62 mission.

"We definitely picked the distance on purpose," said Senior Airman Robert Rebouche, 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron TORQE 62 Memorial Run coordinator. "My commander told us we were going to deliberately run 6.2 miles because TORQE 62 was this crew’s mission during their deployment in Afghanistan. This was their call sign as each one has five letters and two numbers. We decided to honor them in this way physically."

Following the run, members of Dyess and the Abilene community gathered for a memorial ceremony held on the parade grounds. Family members, friends, community leaders and commanders all spoke in memory of TORQE 62.

"Through unity, we mourn together today," said Col. Stephen Hodge, 317th Airlift Group commander. "During this tragedy were very careful to reach out to one another and feel the support and love. At any given moment, we received words of strength and encouragement from around the globe. The ties we have from people all over the world is what I want people to take with them today."

A memorial plaque donated by members of the community honoring TORQE 62 was unveiled at the ceremony. The plaque is scheduled to be added to the memorial being constructed in front of the Dyess Memorial Museum.

Members of the Abilene Military Affairs Committee expressed their condolences to the families and Dyess Airmen.

“Airmen from Dyess are part of the very fabric that makes our community,” said Gray Bridwell, MAC chairman and 7th Bomb Wing honorary commander. “We’re supported and supportive in times of sadness and sorrow. We offer our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the fallen heroes.”

Pierson was a pilot assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in general studies and received his commission May 26, 2010.

Golden was also a pilot assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron. Prior to commissioning through Officer Training School in 2011, he was an airborne operations technician at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

Hammond was a loadmaster assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 2007 and arrived at Dyess Mar. 30, 2014.

Johnson-Harris was also a loadmaster assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron. He graduated from Homestead High School in 2012 and arrived at Dyess May 2, 2014.

Today we remember these heroes who are gone, but will never be forgotten.