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Just before 8:30 am Thursday April 11, 7-year-old aviator Jessica Dubroff took off from the Cheyenne, Wyo. airport in a single-engine plane. Accompanied by her father Lloyd, and Joe Reid, her flight instructor, she was just beginning the fourth leg in her quest to become the youngest person to fly across the continent.
A few minutes later, however, her much publicized trek was cut short when her plane crashed nose first onto a residential street less than a mile from the airport, killing all three on board.
Cheyenne Corps Commanding Officer Captain Keith McRevy and a crew of volunteers were already nearby, handing out food, drinks and Bibles to the Wyoming Air Guard Troopers who were heading out to Bosnia.
“We started out the day as a joyous group, saying goodbye to our troops,” McRevy told the Cheyenne Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, “but it wound up being a very disastrous day.”
According to McRevy, the canteen immediately shut down their Air Guard duties and within minutes relocated to the crash scene. There, volunteers began distributing coffee, hot chocolate, cold drinks, hats and gloves to emergency rescue workers even before 911 called requesting the Army canteen’s presence.
Captain Mona McRevy was leading a ladies’ Bible study when her husband informed her of the crash. “The ladies closed their Bibles, said a prayer, and proceeded to roll up their sleeves and make hot turkey noodle soup and sandwiches” he said.
By the end of the day volunteers had served about 14 dozen sandwiches and McDonalds prepared dozens more Cheeseburgers, Egg McMuffins and coffee. Captain Mona McRevy also provided valuable one-on-one counseling with those in the community directly affected by the crash.
