Details for events throughout the year, including during Syracuse’s Remembrance Week, which can be found at https://remembrance.syr.edu/events/ and our annual Remembrance on December 21.
36th Remembrance Ceremony at Arlington Cemetery
December 21, 2024
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. will hold our traditional memorial service at the Pan Am Cairn at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, December 21st. The service will begin at 1:30 pm.
There will be a shuttle available to bring guests to and from the Arlington Cemetery’s Visitors Center to the Cairn. The shuttle to the Cairn will leave from the Visitor Center (you must go through security inside the Visitor Center) and will be available from 12 noon through 1:10 pm. Return shuttles will begin when the service ends.
Syracuse University’s Remembrance Week Candlelight Vigil
This event will be live-streamed on YouTube.com, search for Hendricks Chapel
The Rise of Modern Terrorism - Speaker Event
Register now for this presentation and discussion at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/yGSLQw8pRCWfVklFXf2wrw
2025-26 VPAF103 Speaker Series
Michelle Ciulla Lipkin’s presentation is When the Headlines Hit Home: Why Media Literacy Matters.
Register now for this presentation and discussion at:
VPAF103-Legacy Speaker Series: Act Forward Project
Event Details:
Syracuse University Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars will present their ACT FORWARD projects on
Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 7 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Registration:
This event will be hosted live on Zoom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Register in advance for this meeting at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/hIkhhBBFQlqZZEM5SXpTqQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The Remembrance Scholars are 35 Syracuse University seniors who represent the passengers and flight crew killed in the Pan Am 103 bombing, including Syracuse University study abroad students. The Lockerbie Scholars are two students from Lockerbie Academy who represent the eleven residents of Lockerbie whose lives were lost in the bombing and Andrew McClune, a 2002-2003 Lockerbie Scholar who died while studying at SU. The mission of the Scholars is to “Look Back, Act Forward.” Scholars are responsible for planning Remembrance Week events that will bring the campus together in the spirit of remembrance. They also work in teams to implement Act Forward projects that deepen their own and the campus communities’ understanding of the Pan Am 103 tragedy and the broader impact of terrorism by engaging in research, outreach, education, and creative projects.
VPAF103-Legacy Speaker Series: Joseph Lim
The Threat of Chinese Government Espionage on U.S. National Security
Will be presented by Joseph Lim, the 2024-25 VPAF103-Legacy Scholar
Annual Memorial Service
The Annual Memorial Service to honor our loved ones will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Virginia on December 21, 2024 beginning at 1:30 pm.
VPAF 103 General Membership Meeting
Register for the VPAF 103 General Membership meeting here.
Remembrance Week 2024
Syracuse University’s Remembrance Week 2024 will be held October 20-26, 2024. For information about all events, visit www.Remembrance.syr.edu
Mediating in Mali. A New Approach to Sahel Counterterrorism.
Join us for the first VPAF103-LEGACY SPEAKER EVENT of 2024-25 on Wednesday October 16, 2024 at 7 pm.
Jordanna Yochai, 2024-25 VPAF103-Legacy Fellow will present her research on the usefulness of countries mediating their neighbor’s internal violent conflicts. The title of her presentation is: Mediating in Mali. A New Approach to Sahel Counterterrorism.
This event will be broadcast live on Zoom. Registration is required and you can register at
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvdeGhqzoiGtBecnmBllJwnaYfPDUERSei
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Three virtual speaker events are held on Zoom each academic year featuring the VPAF103-Legacy Scholarship Awardees and others working in the fields of national security or terrorism prevention. These presentations are one way that VPAF103, Inc. promotes learning about advances in support of national security and terrorism prevention and the impact that our Scholarship Awardees are making.
Jordanna Yochai is a Master’s of International Affairs candidate at SIPA, Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs. Her coursework focuses on defense and security issues, particularly within Africa and the Middle East. She is a member of the 2024 Columbia University International Fellows Program (IFP).
Jordanna Yochai served within the Department of Defense, in both analytic and policy capacities, and has also conducted research for the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Middle East Institute, the Wilson Center, and the Chicago Project on Security & Threats. Jordanna’s research has been published by the Iran Primer, the Islamists, Peacefare, and the Chicago Journal of Foreign Policy. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations. Jordanna has traveled and worked in Africa and the Middle East. She hopes to advance conflict resolution in these regions.
Legacy Speaker Series: Vanessa St.Oegger-Menn
VPAF103, Inc. is hosting a special speaker event featuring Vanessa St.Oegger-Menn, the Pan Am 103 Archivist & Assistant University Archivist, Syracuse University. She will speak about Trauma-Affiliated and Trauma-Informed Archives.
This event will be broadcast live on Zoom at 7 pm Eastern on Thursday, April 18th. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Register in advance for this meeting at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqduitpjsoGNQnQY4Ctvme50_hzVYr_ITx
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the presentation.
Vanessa St.Oegger-Menn is the Pan Am 103 Archivist and Assistant University Archivist at Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center. She holds an MA in 20th-Century British Literature from California State University Long Beach and earned her Masters of Library and Information Science with a concentration in archives and cultural heritage preservation from Syracuse University’s iSchool. Vanessa served on the Society of American Archivists’ Tragedy Response Initiative Task Force from 2018 to 2020, and has been an inaugural co-chair of SAA’s Crisis, Disaster, and Tragedy Response Working Group since 2021. In addition to her archival work, she is an advisor to the Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars at Syracuse University.
Legacy Speaker Series: Cody Gardiner
Speaker: Cody Gardiner, 2023-24 Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. Fellow
Title: Ivory and Instagram: The Link Between Wildlife Trafficking, Social Media, and National Security
Cody Gardiner completed his bachelor’s degree at Emory University, where he double majored in international studies and history with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. After graduation, he interned at CNN before working for three years in risk and intelligence analysis. Cody currently serves as a threat manager on Meta’s Dangerous Organizations and Individuals team, where he conducts research on terrorist organizations, criminal entities, and hate groups. He is a master's student at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program (SSP), concentrating on international security issues. After graduation, Cody intends to pursue a career focusing on the intersection of transnational crime and national security.
This event will be broadcast live on Zoom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Register in advance for this meeting at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYscuCsrT8pHdHNLX-aVe8Ii26qKGIcBfNv
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
35th Remembrance Ceremony at Arlington Cemetery
Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc. will again hold our traditional memorial service at the Pan Am Cairn at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, December 21st. The service will begin at 1:30 pm.
There will be a shuttle available to bring guests to and from the Arlington Cemetery’s Visitors Center to the Cairn. The shuttle to the Cairn will leave from the Visitor Center (you must go through security inside the Visitor Center) and will be available from 12 noon through 1:10 pm. Return shuttles will begin when the service ends.
Dec 20 Reception
An hor d'ourves reception with a cash bar for family and friends to renew acquaintances and share memories. The reception will be held at the Marriott Crystal Gateway (1700 Richmond Hwy, Arlington VA) from 2-5 pm on December 20, 2023.
Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased online. Tickets at the door are $20 and payable by cash or check.
Legacy Speaker Series: Max Goldberg
Speaker: Max Goldberg, 2023-24 VPAF103 Legacy Scholar
Title: The Accessibility of Terror
Max Goldberg is an accelerated BA/MA in International Relations student at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, with minors in Geography, and Atrocity Studies and Practices of Social Justice. Growing up in three countries across two continents thanks to his parent’s employment in the federal government, Max seeks to enter into the family business of national security. His completed internships with USAID, USDOS, the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, and at multiple agencies within the intelligence community, in addition to his travels across 25 countries and language proficiency in Spanish and Polish, have endowed Max with a unique understanding of the global security environment and the threats demanding an appropriate response. The Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 scholarship will greatly assist Max’s continued efforts to leave behind a safer, more secure world and deliver justice to victims of violent extremism, aggression, and terrorism.
This event will be broadcast live on Zoom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Register in advance for this meeting at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMuf-mprjIqGNJ-ONCjTu9VdBj79D6SJ-qc
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
2023 Annual General Membership Meeting
VPAF103, Inc. will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, October 21st beginning at 10 am. This will follow Syracuse University’s Remembrance Week activities, which are scheduled for October 15-20, 2023. The Annual meeting will include reports from the President and Chairperson, updates from the VPAF103 committees, reports from U.S. government and Crown Office representatives, and the opportunity to informally speak with the current Remembrance Scholars.
More about the meeting is available for members. Members can get more information about the meeting here.
Legacy Award Speaker Series with Kathryn Truman, Assistant Director, FBI Victim Services Division (ret.)
Evolving Responses to Mass Violence and Terrorism
Kathryn Truman, Assistant Director, FBI Victim Services Division (VSD), retired
This event will be broadcast live on Zoom. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModO2grTwtE9F_5r0-sJ3Tz5aejv7LyE9b
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Kathryn Turman ran the Victim Witness Assistance Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in the 1990’s. She joined the FBI in 2002 and was the assistant director of the FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) when she retired in 2020. Arguably the Bureau’s most consistently called-upon contributor, she presided over the FBI’s victim-centered responses to every major case since 9/11, including the Boston Marathon bombings, multiple mass-casualty shootings, international kidnappings and murders, and scores of federal crimes. Under her leadership, the division grew from a handful of well-intentioned staff to a world-renowned corps of more than 300 specially trained personnel. During the 2000 trial of the two suspects in the bombing of Pan Am 103, it was Turman’s charge to make sure the families of the bombing’s American victims were well-served. Turman arranged for travel for family members and secured closed-circuit viewing in the U.S., which at the time was unprecedented. Robert S. Mueller, FBI Director from 2001-2013, said of Turman, “The victim assistance plan she developed for the Lockerbie prosecution became the backbone of the FBI’s approach to supporting victims of terrorism and federal crime.”
Syracuse University's Hendricks Chapel commemoration of Pan Am Flight 103
Syracuse University's Hendricks Chapel will hold a service to commemorate the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy on Wednesday, December 21 beginning at 2:03 p.m. Eastern in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel.
This service will also be available to watch live on Zoom. To participate in this Zoom broadcast, you will need to pre-register at https://calendar.syracuse.edu/events/2022-dec-21/pan-am-flight-103-memorial-service-83421/. After you register, you will receive a Zoom link that will enable you to join the Zoom broadcast.
34th Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial Service
The service will include family and friends reading the names of all our loved ones lost in 1988, speeches by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Dorothy Bain, Lord Advocate of Scotland. We anticipate videotaping the service and posting it on the VPAF website after the service.
There is paid parking in the Arlington Cemetery Visitor Center lot and the DC Metro stop is very close by. There will be a shuttle specifically for people attending our service making round trips from the street in front of the Visitor Center to the Cairn. Shuttle service will begin at ~12:15 pm through ~1:15 pm in order to arrive at the Cairn in time for the beginning of the Service. After the Service, the shuttle will be available until ~3:30 pm to take people back to the Visitor Center.
Prior to boarding the buses, all attendees must go through security. Outside of the Visitor Center will be security screener that all visitors must go through. From there they will walk to their buses, which will be parked at the tram location inside ANC. We will have an escort to lead the buses to the event site.
Remembrance Scholar Convocation
Syracuse University Remembrance Week 2022
Remembrance Scholar Convocation, Hendricks Chapel, 3 p.m. – This annual convocation will honor the 2022-23 Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars. ASL interpretation and CART translation will be available for this event. A reception at the SU Art Museum Galleria in the Shaffer Art Building will immediately follow.
Rose Laying Ceremony
Syracuse University Remembrance Week 2022
Rose-Laying Ceremony, Place of Remembrance, 2:03 p.m. – This annual ceremony honors the 270 people, including 35 students studying abroad through Syracuse University, who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The ceremony also honors 2002-03 Lockerbie Scholar Andrew McClune, who died in 2002. ASL interpretation will be available for this event.
Pan Am 103 Archives Lecture: Trauma, Identity, Community & the 1988 Lockerbie Bombing
Syracuse University Remembrance Week 2022
“‘It was known as the place where nothing ever happens. But it did. It did.’: Trauma, Identity, Community and the 1988 Lockerbie Bombing” lecture, Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library, 10 a.m. – Researchers/criminologists Andy Clark of Newcastle University and Colin Atkinson of the University of the West of Scotland will discuss their recent criminological oral history research with first responders to the Lockerbie disaster site. This presentation is sponsored by the Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives at the Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center. Communication Access Real-Time (CART) will be provided.
Celebration of Life
Syracuse University Remembrance Week 2022
Celebration of Life, K.G. Tan Auditorium, National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) – An evening of music, poetry, art, dancing and more to honor the victims of Pan Am 103 and to celebrate life alongside the victims’ families and the current scholars. ASL interpretation will be available for this event.
Screening of "Seat 20D," followed by Q&A with Director Jill Campbell
Syracuse University Remembrance Week 2022
The documentary “Seat 20D” tells the story of “Dark Elegy,” the memorial created by Suse Lowenstein, whose son, Alexander, was killed in the Pan Am 103 bombing.