By Christie Breen
Reporter
FAMILIES, friends and first responders gathered at the former Dryfesdale Church on Sunday to mark the 37th anniversary of the Lockerbie Air Disaster. The celebration of gratitude and remembrance particularly focused on the heroic response by thousands of first responders and volunteers in the days, weeks and months following the 1988 disaster. The former church, now the Lockerbie Memorial Church Museum (LMCM) was bathed in light with 270 candles to represent the souls lost in the air and on the ground that fateful night. [caption id="attachment_65391" align="aligncenter" width="488"]
OPENING REMARKS . . . Fiona Armstrong, His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries [/caption] There was also a Wall of Honour naming each of the organisations involved in the response to the bombing, which stretched across the UK and the Atlantic, with emblems, flags and crests added during the service. Lord Lieutenant for Dumfriesshire Fiona Armstrong addressed the congregation, saying: "Friends and family of those who died here 37 years ago; police, fire; ambulance; army; mountain rescue; those who baked to feed emergency services; those who ashed the clothes of victims to send them back to their loved ones; those who coped; those who helped; those who cared. So many of you, with so many memories of that dreadful time. "And remember we do, 270 people, all those lives lost, innocent victims of a terrorist bomb. "Lockerbie's motto is forward, it's there on the town's coat of arms and this community is moving forward, but 37 years on we still look back, we feel the pain and the heartache as we recognised the bravery and the kindness of those who came together to help." Victoria Cummock – widow of passenger John B. Cummock and founder and chair of the LMCM – gave her thanks to the first responders referring to them as 'nameless saints' in the aftermath of tragedy. She said: "What we all witnessed in America, from thousands of miles away was the urgent and compassionate response by thousands of nameless saints in Scotland and across the UK: by the first responders, by the Lockerbie residents and volunteers. They were actions that helped ground families all over the world, and you became our lifeline and our beacon of hope and inspiration." [caption id="attachment_65392" align="alignnone" width="1535"]
FULL CHURCH . . . some of the many guests who attended the service in Dryfesdale church[/caption] Meanwhile, Lord Lyon King of Arms Dr Joseph Morrow spoke about how the continued compassion and acts of remembrance shown by the town of Lockerbie and the first responders was modern form of cairn building, which he described as an act of hope, stating: "Each of us not just today but throughout all the years brings a national integrity to this national tragedy by building in our hearts as individuals, in our communities and in our nation an integrity and to mark it with something physical. "You are today's cairn builders, and we must never be overwhelmed with the tragedy but we have together and carried each other through. Cairns do not point backwards, but they alone are not enough we need to bring hope into our lives and into the unique relationships we have. "One of the things that absolutely struck me in entering this building was the wall of honour before us, and it tells a story not only of the responders on that terrifying day but it tells a story of how Scotland formed together with others to respond in a very positive way. "The first responders on that day were the foundations of the cairn of hope." The service continued with emotional musical performances from Christian Taylor and Catriona Arthur, as well as a poetry reading and blessing from Reverend John Mosey, father of passenger Helga Mosey, after the names of the 270 victims were read aloud. [caption id="attachment_65393" align="aligncenter" width="473"]
REMEMBERING . . . plaques and flowers were laid at the wall of honour [/caption]
