A full decade after one of the worst tragedies in our island's history, the rolling landscapes of Nimitz Hill still contain the indelible imagery and overwhelming pain bore by the families of the victims of Korean Airlines Flight 801. In all, more than 250 people lost their lives on a fateful morning in 1997 when a KAL plane crashed into the hillside upon approach to the Guam International Airport.


This is 31-year-old Hee-Tuck No's fourth visit to Guam. Unlike many of those on the flight from Seoul Korea, Hee-Tuck's trip is not for pleasure. Instead, he's here to pay respects to his mother, Yun Soon Shim, who died ten years ago today on Korean Airlines Flight 801, which crashed into a Nimitz Hill valley just a few miles short of the runway at the Guam International Airport. This morning he relived that fateful day and was overcome with emotion and a sense of helplessness, just as he had a decade ago.


Hee-Tuck and his sister Ji Young had a difficult time coping with the loss of their mother in 1997. She was one of 254 passengers and crewmembers on board, but Shim was not one of the 25 survivors. Seeing her name inscribed in the KAL Memorial, the no's quietly reflect on their mother, as tears run down their faces. Overcome with sadness Hee-Tuck's girlfriend, Jenny, translated her boyfriend's thoughts about his mother. "Today he was crying, the same feeling as that day," she told KUAM News solemnly. She also said, "She was a good cook, very good. He misses talking to her."


Shim was just 39 years old and an architect who flew to Guam for business, but never made it off the plane. She left behind a husband, a son and a daughter who found it difficult to cope. "His life was terrible," Jenny continued. "You know, everyday [he would] drink and ride his motorbike."


Inline with Korean tradition, those who visited the memorial brought flowers, different types of food, fruit and soju - Korean alcohol - as a gift to the souls of those who died here. "We believe the soul, they have to have the fruit," Jenny explained.


The families of those whose lives were tragically cut short on Flight 801 are now seeking the federal government's assistance in making sure that this monument is accessible year-round.


The KAL Memorial currently sits on Navy property that is locked for most of the year. Jimmy Yun is the Korean Sports Association general secretary and escorted a number of family members to the memorial today. Yun says family members have submitted requests to Korean Airlines, the Korean Consulate and Naval Station to allow for continued maintenance and beautification. "They want something, put some of the flower, and cut the grass," he said.