US, Germany hold memorial for soldiers killed in 1971 crash

BERLIN (AP) — American and German officials held a ceremony to commemorate a U.S. Army helicopter crash that killed 37 soldiers in Bavaria 50 years ago. The accident over the town of Pegnitz occurred during a training flight close to what was then the Iron Curtain. Among the victims was the son of Walter Lorain Cherry, who founded the eponymous company that makes computer keyboards. Several relatives of the victims were due to attend Wednesday’s memorial, subject to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Witnesses of the Aug. 18, 1971 crash said the twin‐engine Chinook exploded in mid-air before plunging about 600 feet to the ground. An investigation determined that a rotor blade had come loose due to material fatigue.