History > Spotlight
Khobar Towers Bombing
On June 25, 1996, terrorists bomb the Khobar Towers near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, shortly before 10 p.m. local time, killing 19 Air Force personnel and injuring some 300 other Americans. Air Force guards posted on top of a nearby building suspected terrorist activity as the driver of a fuel truck parked next to the northern perimeter fence fled in a nearby car. An evacuation immediately began, but before all were safe, there was a tremendous explosion.
The 19 airmen killed in the blast were:
Capt. Christopher J. Adams
Capt. Leland T. Haun
Master Sgt. Michael G. Heiser
Master Sgt. Kendall K. Kitson Jr.
Tech. Sgt. Patrick P. Fennig
Tech. Sgt. Thanh V. Nguyen
Staff Sgt. Daniel B. Cafourek
Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Johnson
Staff Sgt. Ronald L. King
Sgt. Millard D. Campbell
Senior Airman Earl F. Cartrette Jr.
Senior Airman Jeremy A. Taylor
Airman 1st Class Christopher B. Lester
Airman 1st Class Brent E. Marthaler
Airman 1st Class Brian W. McVeigh
Airman 1st Class Peter J. Morgera
Airman 1st Class Joseph E. Rimkus
Airman 1st Class Justin R. Wood
Airman 1st Class Joshua E. Woody
There is now a memorial to the 19 airmen killed in the terrorist bombing. The Khobar Towers Memorial exhibit opened in June at Gunter Annex, near Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., on the third anniversary of the bombing.
Artifacts recovered after the bombing and uniforms worn by three airmen killed in the blast are on diplay. Enlarged photographs of the explosion site make up the exhibit backdrop.
"By showing the bombed-out building in detail, we hope to impress upon people exactly how destructive the explosion was," said 1st Lt. John Redfield, an Air University spokesman.
The idea for a memorial exhibit began in late 1996 when Senior Master Sgt. Richard Dittmer was a student at the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Gunter. He and other classmates donated artifacts and money to help create the exhibit. It reminds us that terrorism is a constant threat and can happen anytime and anywhere. When friends and family viewed the exhibit, they said they felt an immense loss.
"When you go to something like this, it hurts, but it helps heal the three-year emotional wounds that family members still bear," Jenny Haun said. Her husband, Capt. Leland "Tim" Haun, was on temporary duty at the base from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., and died in the blast.
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