January 28th, 1986

[lagilman]

I was getting ready for class when I heard a noise that sounded like a cross between a low scream and a moan, coming from a corner suite in my dorm. I ran to see what was wrong, and caught the coverage of the explosion* on small television screen.

For years, I thought that would be the most horrific thing I would ever see.


Francis R. Scobee. Michael J. Smith. Judith A. Resnik. Ellison S. Onizuka. Ronald E. McNair. Gregory B. Jarvis. Sharon Christa McAuliffe.


Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

-Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee, 412 squadron, RCAF
Killed 11 December 1941






*yeah I know it didn't technically explode. But that is the image in my mind, and I'm not a rocket scientist, okay?

Comments

wow

[efender.livejournal.com]

that was one of my first memories. I was 6 and me and my mom had just dropped off my brother at school. She set me up in the living room in front of the tv w/ my sandwich and chips and juice and turned it on. I was really excited b/c my mom had talked it up so much that week and I was probably more excited that it was going to be just me and mom (no annoying older brother!). I remember seeing the explosion and my mom gasping. She rushed to turn it off and then told me something about fireworks--I can't really remember. I know that later she explained what had really happened. She told me that this would be one of those rare moments in life where when you talk to someone they will remember exactly where/when/what like she did w/ the Kennedy assassination. But...our generation has had too many of these moments...I just hope that this will spare our children of these kinds of memories--Thanks Laura--this too is one event that should never be forgotten.