Ted Stevens . . . Fought the good fight for Alaska . . . R.I.P.


Alaska and the nation lost a great fighter for the American way of life especially in “The Last Frontier” yesterday when a floatplane he was in crashed in the mountains of western Alaska near Dillingham. 


                                    (origin of photo unknown)

Of the nine people on board the aircraft, four people survived the crash.

“Uncle Ted” as most Alaskans called him fought hard to bring Alaska from a Territory to statehood.  His legacy will be the 49th star on the American flag as well as his tireless work to bring a better way of life for rural Alaskans, mostly natives who continue the subsistence lifestyle of many generations.

As word spread last night and into this morning of his being on the downed aircraft the wave of concern and remembrances flowed from all sections of the state from the tiny villages to the larger cities.

Ted Stevens tenacity to fight for causes to help Alaska and the country was truly national.  His impact on health care, defense, telecommunications, transportation, energy, sports and the arts are of such consequence that he stands as one of the greatest United States Senators in the nation’s history.

From the Alaska Daily News:  Along with Ted Stevens, four others died in the plane crash Monday night near Dillingham.  Longtime GCI executive Dana Tindall and her daughter, Corey, were killed.  So were former Stevens chief of staff and current Washington lobbyist Bill Phillips and the pilot, Terry Smith of Eagle River.

We offer our condolences, thoughts and prayers for their families and friends, and hope for swift recovery for the four survivors.

Ice

Comments

JeanMac said…
Such a loss - grateful for some survivors.
1:12 PM
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