Tomorrow is the 20th Aniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. I remember, I was in the first grade at Westside Elementary School. We were one of the classes to go to the library to watch the shuttle lift off. It was such a big deal because of the fact a teacher was on board, and we were going to be able to participate in the classroom programs she was going to be teaching from space. We saw those astronauts lives end live on CNN. It was a tough thing for a classroom full of first-graders to go through, but the teachers were there to help us through it. Strangely enough, after that I remember be almost obsessed with space, I still have the book about the Challenger that I bought from the bookfair. I don't know when my interest in science really started, but ever since I was little I have been all about all things science.
So lets talk about how the Challenger disaster affected you or just where you might have been when it happened.
Wyldfire, I had long since retired from the Air Force when the Challenger disaster occurred, but I had a special attachment to it. From 1963 until 1967, I was assigned as an Air Force officer at the Manned Spacecraft Center at Houston, with duty as a coordinator of training of the astronauts.
During my 3+ years with NASA, I was able to form friendships with Astronauts Gus Grissom, John Young, Wally Schirra, Tom Stafford, Neil Armstrong and Pete Conrad. I can tell you this.....each of them recognized the disaster that could befall them during launch or reentry, and they were all willing to accept the risks. I am sure that the astronauts of Challenger were no less prepared to accept those risks.
I hope that we will remember those brave astronauts who were willing to go into space, even if it meant that they might not return.
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I can remember this like it was yesterday. coach35, a friend of ours and I was hunting at our friends land. We came back to the camphouse and was watching what we thought was the launch. All three of us was watching the tv and got into a argument about what had exploded. I thought it was the shuttle and they said it was the boosters. Sad to say I was right and we all went silent for about a min. or two. Now when this part of history is brought and we are together we still talk about where and what we were doing. Just somethings you never forget.
I remember that day too. I was also in the 1st grade. We had gathered to watch it too. I'm not sure we quite understood what was going on. When I got home my Mom was infront of the tv crying. She explained it to me as best she could. I remember asking if she had children and what would happen to them. I guess at that age I couldn't understand not having a mommy. It made a deep impact on me for sure. It's amazing what sticks with you at 6 years old.
"You have the freak flag... you just don't fly it."
i was in first grade also. i remember going to my grandmother's house that afternoon, sitting in front of her tv watching the coverage of the disaster. that's probably the first time i really thought about death.
At the time of the Challenger disaster I was in Germersheim, Germany. I had just got of from work and just arrived back to my apartment at the BEQ. The Today Show was aired live on AFN over there at 4PM Germany time. They were showing the liftoff because of the teacher going into space. I grabbed a VHS tape to record the lift off and I got about 6 hours of that coverage. I still have the tape. AFN continued with the Today Show for a long time that night. Many people who lived off base and did not receive AFN was called and they came in to watch it at the club.
it is not a hard one for me to remember cause it is on my mothers birthday. i found out about it when we were going home and my sister (daddy's baby girl) was telling my mother about a guy i think will glass came in the room shouting the challenger blew up the chanlenger blew up.
BB, I remember it also. I remember we were in Coach James' room when someone came in and told us. I don't quite remember the part about Will though-that doesn't mean much! We watched it on television for hours after that. It was sort of ironic because we were in history class. It is definitely a part of history I will never forget! I remember it was a sad birthday for Mom that year!
BB, I remember it also. I remember we were in Coach James' room when someone came in and told us. I don't quite remember the part about Will though-that doesn't mean much! We watched it on television for hours after that. It was sort of ironic because we were in history class. It is definitely a part of history I will never forget! I remember it was a sad birthday for Mom that year!
at least that year she had something to cry about. doesn't explain the others though.
PETREY FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!
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at least that year she had something to cry about. doesn't explain the others though.
You such a fool BB 2132! You so crazy! I wouldn't blame your mother if she took her shoe off and hit you in the back of the head with it!
On topic, I came in from work that day not knowing and watched it on CNN news that evening. I was dumbfounded and heartbroken at the same time. I just kept watching it over and over for hours.
PawPaws Darling
