HERSHEY, Pa. \u2014 On Sept. 11, 2001, Randy McKillop was working with his dad in Harrisburg. They owned a consulting firm.<\/p>\n
\u201cTurned the TV on, which we walked in and my dad just stared at that television,\u201d McKillop recalled. \u201cAnother jet just crashed into the towers. It seemed like a horror movie.\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t know at the time, but that plane they watched crash into the second tower live on TV was originally manned by one of Hershey\u2019s own.<\/p>\n
Michael Horrocks was the co-pilot of United Airlines Flight 175 that was hijacked that morning, a flight from Boston to Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the plane that the world witnessed live crashing into the South Tower,\u201d McKillop said.<\/p>\n
Horrocks, known simply as \u201cRocks,\u201d graduated from Hershey High School in 1981. He went on to West Chester University, where he was the quarterback of the football team.<\/p>\n
Then he went to the United States Marine Corps, where he was a pilot and flight instructor.<\/p>\n
He got a job with United Airlines after retiring from the Marines.<\/p>\n
McKillop met Rocks when he was a freshman, and Rocks was a senior.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust an amazing, amazing dude,\u201d McKillop said.<\/p>\n
McKillop made the high school baseball team that year, and said he\u2019s never forgotten how Horrocks made him and the other freshmen feel welcomed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we warmed up the one day, you know, we\u2019re all intimidated. We\u2019re four years younger and he just kind of, \u2018Hey, Randy, nice to meet you! Glad you made the school team! Let\u2019s have a great year!\u2019 And was just open, you know kind of just was there for me and I just never forgot it,\u201d McKillop said.<\/p>\n
There is a memorial at Hershey High School – a headstone dedicated to students, staff, and alumni on the 10th anniversary of the 9\/11 attacks.<\/p>\n
It was recently moved right outside of the Hershey High Football Stadium.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also a statue at West Chester University\u2019s stadium. Football players started a tradition where they touch the toe of the stadium as they take the field for home games.<\/p>\n
But McKillop is determined to build a memorial for the public, in Hershey, to honor Horrocks.<\/p>\n
He has the land granted for the memorial and it\u2019s already been designed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s dedicated to his kids, Christina, who was 9, and Nick, who was 6, at the time of Michael\u2019s death,\u201d McKillop said.<\/p>\n
Their silhouettes are part of the memorial.<\/p>\n
Now, it\u2019s just about finding funding.<\/p>\n
McKillop is hoping someone will see this story, and donate to or sponsor the memorial and make it a reality to honor a local hero.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to make sure that we never forget,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
McKillop said if anyone is interested in helping, he can be contacted by phone at 717-648-8544, or by email at mckillopassoc@comcast.net. <\/p>\n
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