One Year Later, Hundreds Gather To Remember 49 Ky. Plane Crash Victims

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) _ Hundreds gathered Sunday to remember the 49 lives lost when a Comair flight crashed shortly after takeoff a year ago. <br/><br/>The memorial service, held at a church just a few

Sunday, August 26th 2007, 8:04 pm

By: News On 6

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) _ Hundreds gathered Sunday to remember the 49 lives lost when a Comair flight crashed shortly after takeoff a year ago.

The memorial service, held at a church just a few miles from the airport where Comair 5191 crashed on Aug. 27, 2006, celebrated the lives of the victims, the efforts of the first responders and the outpouring of support from countless others.

``This past year has given us time to clear our eyes and express our thanks,'' said Wayne Turner, whose brother, Larry, was among the victims.

The large white ``Remembering 5191'' banner that had served as a makeshift memorial at Blue Grass Airport in the days following the crash was displayed Sunday on the stage of Southland Christian Church.

The comments of support written by well-wishers wallpapered the banner, which was slightly worn by the months that had passed.

Dozens of church members, many of them children, greeted the parade of cars arriving at the parking lot for the memorial with posters, broadcasting such messages as ``We Love You'' and ``We Still Remember.''

Television reporter Denny Trease, who presided during the ceremony, read the names of each of the 49 victims, as their pictures were displayed on four large screens.

The firefighters, police officers and airport safety officers who rushed to the scene of the crash to try to find survivors all received a standing ovation. One person survived _ the co-pilot, James Polehinke. He was pulled from the charred cockpit, but suffered brain damage, lost a leg and broke numerous bones.

Turner, who was the lone family member to speak, recalled that his father often said, ``It'll feel better when it quits hurting.''

``It hasn't quit hurting for these families and for this community, yet it is different and some good things have come,'' he said. ``Over the past year, we've learned things about our loved ones and ourselves we hadn't known. We know that families can become stronger through adversity.''