Today In Country Music History

1983 Airline Tragedy Inspires Legendary Song

The Soviet Union downs Korean Air Lines flight 007, killing 269 people, including a U.S. congressman. The flight, known as KAL007 was en route from New York City to Seoul via Anchorage. The airliner was shot down by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor near Moneron Island, west of Sakhalin Island, in the Sea of Japan. All 269 passengers and crew aboard were killed, including Lawrence McDonald, a U.S. Congressman from Georgia

The Soviet Union initially denied knowledge of the incident, but later admitted the shootdown, claiming that the aircraft was on a spy mission, a deliberate provocation by the United States to test the Soviet Union's military preparedness. In return, The White House accused the Soviet Union of obstructing search and rescue operations.

The Soviet military suppressed evidence sought by the International Civil Aviation Organization investigation, such as the flight data recorders, which were released eight years later after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

As a result of the incident, the United States altered tracking procedures for aircraft departing Alaska. In addition, the event was one of the most important single events that prompted the Reagan administration to allow worldwide access to the United States military's GNSS system, which was classified at the time. Today this system is widely known as GPS.

The event reportedly inspires Lee Greenwood to write "God Bless The U.S.A." Johnny Cash also cancels a Soviet tour in protest.