Mount Beacon Crashes Recalled (Aired on March 9 and 10, 2019)

Photohistorian and local history activist David Rocco visits RadioRotary to tell about the project to mount a plaque in Veterans Park, Beacon, NY, to commemorate two airplane crashes on Mount Beacon. Mount Beacon, named for its role in the use of a fire atop the mountain during the American revolution that would notify Washington’s army of British advances toward West Point, is the highest peak of the Hudson Highlands. In 1935 two Navy reservists lost their lives when their biplane crashed high on the mountain; then, ten years later, a twin-engine Navy plane carrying 6 Navy aviators, including legendary Captain Dixie Kiefer, also crashed on the mountain, killing all aboard. Mr. Rocco has been spearheading a group that is mounting a commemorative plaque. Mr. Rocco has been involved in a number of local projects, including developing the Walkway on the Hudson, a local dog park, and restoring the Mount Beacon fire tower. Recently Mr. Rocco has taken 10,000 photographs documenting the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge with the new Mario Cuomo Bridge, including six showing the dramatic explosions used to bring down the last span of the Tappan Zee structure.

Learn more:

Mount Beacon Eight Remembered: https://medium.com/thegroundhog/mount-

beacon-eight-remembered-5ae37428ed35

Beacon Historical Society: http://beaconhistorical.org/

David Rocco Tappan Zee Bridge Exhibit:

https://www.theexaminernews.com/dramatic-tz-bridge-construction-photos-on-

display-at-white-plains-library/

David Rocco on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidAllanRocco

The Indestructible Man: https://smile.amazon.com/Indestructible-Man-Story-

World-

Captain/dp/1548322598/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Indestrctible+Man&qid=155

2405409&s=books&sr=1-1-spell

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