Five years ago this Tuesday, nine members of the 156th Airlift Wing Puerto Rico Air National Guard were killed when a C-130 crashed on GA Highway 21 in Port Wentworth.
April 5 was national Gold Star Spouses Day, set aside to honor the surviving loved ones of military service members who died while serving their country.
On May 2, 2018, a C-130 plane from the Puerto Rican Air National Guard dropped from the sky and crashed into the middle of Ga. 21 in Port Wentworth. Pieces of the aircraft were scattered across the lanes and gray smoke could be seen billowing from miles away.
Elizabeth Galarza, a Savannah resident, was on her way to Bluffton on the Talmadge Bridge when she saw the smoke. She started a Facebook Live, asking people what had happened and warned others about driving in the area. About 20 minutes later, the news started to come in.
“I remember it clearly,” said Galarza. “It was devastating.”