Dear SUNY Oswego Campus Community,

Nearly 34 years ago, the bombing of Pam Am flight 103 was an international tragedy with impact on our university community. Two SUNY Oswego students, Colleen Brunner ‘90 and Lynne Hartunian ‘89, who had been studying abroad in London, were among the 259 passengers killed on the flight on December 21, 1988. This act of terror so close to the holidays, as families everywhere prepared to welcome loved ones home, reverberates today for many.

While the recent news (of the United States taking alleged Pan Am Flight 103 bombmaker into custody) shows that justice remains possible for those who commit such violent acts, we know that nothing can bring back Colleen, Lynne and all those lost that day. What we can do, as a caring community and extended university family, is to always remember and honor their legacy.

The Peace Free and Easy memorial plaque on the west campus at SUNY Oswego, which memorializes Colleen and Lynne, and two alumni who perished during the September 11, 2001 attacks, is engraved with a message to offer comfort, strength, peace and serenity to the families and friends of Colleen, Lynne and those lost later, all to senseless acts of terrorism.

Today, the SUNY Oswego community joins Colleen’s and Lynne’s families and friends, and the many who knew them, in continuing to carry forward their memories and cherishing what they brought to our lives. We will always remember.

Warmest Regards,

Mary C. Toale, Ed.D.
Officer in Charge