‘Unsolved Histories’ Episode 8: A permanent memorial created to honor the fallen from Flight 293
Nov 14, 2024, 6:33 PM
The 60th anniversary commemoration of Flight 293 and monument dedication was held at Tahoma National Cemetery near Seattle on June 3, 2023. (Photo: Feliks Banel)
(Photo: Feliks Banel)
Editors’ note: “Unsolved Histories: What Happened to Flight 293” is a podcast that is about three intersecting stories that Seattle-based historian Feliks Banel has been investigating. It’s a mystery about what happened to an airliner that disappeared. It’s an exposé of a government loophole that let’s the military turn its back on grieving families. It’s also a deep dive into the resilience of human beings. The following is a narrative summary of Episode 8 of “Unsolved Histories: What Happened to Flight 293” titled “Closure.”
In the final episode, the families and friends left behind gathered on the 60th anniversary of the tragic event. For the very first time, as a group united by shared loss, the sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, grandsons and granddaughters commemorated their loved ones and pledge to keep seeking answers about Flight 293, and to be formally acknowledged by the Department of Defense.
When Private Bruce Barrowman boarded Flight 293, he was just 17 years old. Bruce’s loss has haunted his younger brother Greg for decades. At times, Greg has struggled to make sense of what happened, and to find some way to commemorate Bruce and the other 100 passengers and crew who were lost.
Through years of grief and sometimes anger and frustration, Greg repeatedly asked the military to search for the wreckage to find for answers to the big questions about what went wrong and why the DC-7C went down in the Gulf of Alaska. At the same time, the Barrowmans also did what they could to memorialize Bruce and never forget his sacrifice – and theirs, too.
Episode 1 of ‘Unsolved Histories’ is called ‘Brothers:’ Flight 293 never arrived at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska
Episode 2 is called ‘The Wreckage:’ Finding a haunting memento after the 1963 plane crash
Personal monuments to hidden grief
As Greg began connecting with other Flight 293 families, he learned that many have been trying to do exactly the same thing. Like the Barrowmans, many families felt abandoned by the US government. They hunted online for information about the flight, and some also built private monuments to their lost loved ones alongside their family homes, complete with plaques and flagpoles.
With help from many of those Flight 293 families and from an informal network of aviation and military historians and others simply interested righting a decades-old wrong, Greg Barrowman led an effort to publicly commemorate the loss of those aboard, and to finally dedicate a permanent monument to the tragedy.
Episode 3 is called ‘Best Friends:’ ‘Jody has always stayed with me’ after 1963 crash
Episode 4 is called ‘Scuttlebutt:’ One theory is friendly fire brought down Flight 293
‘Unsolved Histories’ Episode 8: Creating a permanent memorial
On June 3, 2023, many Flight 293 families gathered near Seattle for a public ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the crash. The gathering formally memorialized the six-member civilian crew from Northwest Airlines, and the 95 active duty military, dependents and federal employees who were aboard the plane.
Among the more than 100 people who came from around the United States to pay their respects and to share their stories was Cherie Pipkin-Gardner, Bruce Barrowman’s high-school girlfriend.
The monument to Flight 293 was paid for with private funds raised by Greg Barrowman, and dedicated at Tahoma National Cemetery on June 3, 2023 – the 60th anniversary of the crash. (Photo: Feliks Banel)
“I am so proud to be here, and I’m so grateful,” Pipkin-Gardner, who traveled from Arizona, said. “I think the things that Greg and the rest of his family have done are phenomenal. It’s helped so many people.”
Once the privately funded monument had been formally dedicated at Tahoma National Cemetery south of Seattle, the Flight 293 families gathered for a picnic at Greg Barrowman’s nearby home.
Episode 5 is called ‘The Ditching:’ Another Flight 293 nearly suffered a similar disaster
Episode 6 is called ‘The Crew:’ Meeting the lost crew and examining sinister crash theories
As close as our language can come
“I don’t know if you really have closure,” Pipkin-Gardner said, as she shared stories about Bruce and about her lifelong bond with the Barrowman family.
“I don’t know if closure is the right word, but I think it’s as close as our language can come,” she added.
Episode 7 is called ‘Leave No One Behind:’ Flight 293 families question that major promise
List of passengers and crew of Flight 293
The U.S. Department of Defense listed the passengers aboard Flight 293 and distributed to the press. (Image courtesy of Feliks Banel)
More from Feliks Banel: The historian’s most recent stories for KIRO Newsradio and MyNorthwest
Special thanks
| Tonja Anderson-Dell, Honored Bound | Greg Barrowman |
| Don Bennett | Carolyn Olsen Bishop |
| Al Dams, King County Assessor’s Office | Jim Dever, “Evening” |
| Janet Ahlalook Dozette | Clay Eals, The Seattle Times |
| Karen Forscher | Susan Francis |
| Cherie Pipkin Gardner | Rosie Geer |
| Mitch Grayson | Robin Henderson |
| Gary Horcher, KIRO 7 | Ted Huetter, Museum of Flight |
| Irene Johnson | Darlene Jevne |
| Julie Kallem | Tim and Elaine Kangas |
| Dave Kiffer | Bruce Kitt, NW Airlines History Center |
| Mike Lombardi, Boeing | Kathy McGuire |
| Dr. Timothy McMahon, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System | Sally Minick |
| Bernie Moskowitz | Tim Murphy |
| Esther Naholowaa | Karen Nix |
| Fred and Ingrid Olsen | Myron Partington |
| Luke Preston | Joe Pouliot |
| Richard Pouliot | Steve Pouliot |
| Keith Pugh | Dan Pyryt |
| John Reed | Judi Larson Rice |
| Jean Sherrard, The Seattle Times | Staff Sergeant Naomi Shipley, USAF |
| Connie Smith | Dr. Kevin Smith, AFMAO |
| Peter Stekel | Barry Strauch |
| Staff Sergeant Benjamin Sutton, USAF | Staff Sergeant Zoe Thacker, USAF |
| Valerie van Heest | John Washburn |
| Kim Wenger | Suzie Wiley, “NewDayNW” |
| Scott Williams | Bill Wixey, FOX 13 |
| Emil Zupo |
You can hear Feliks Banel every Wednesday and Friday morning on Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien. Read more from Feliks here and subscribe to The Resident Historian Podcast here. If you have a story idea or a question about Northwest history, please email Feliks. You can also follow Feliks on X.
