by Biff Remington, Model Citizen
68469888 Editor's Note: Thanks, Jim.
I was seated at a small diner In Lyons NY the County seat of Wayne County.
The owner had a radio on that was carrying the news of the launch.
These event dont hit me all at once. Eventually the full meaning was clear of risk some are willing to take as our society and it's technology continues to evolve.
They were all volunteers doing what they wanted to do.
I dont know who wrote the speech honoring them Reagan gave later, but it was great.+ ets Editor's Note: Thanks, Albert.
Thanx John AXM Editor's Note: Thanks, John.
I remember Reagan's speech, there's never been a more eloquent speaker in our history.
Editor's Note: Thanks, Marilyn
Editor's Note: Thanks, Mark
Editor's Note: Thanks, Lynne
Editor's Note: Thanks, Gary.
I was working as a school secretary that terrible day, and I had typed an entire application for a teacher in our school who wanted to be chosen for that mission. There but for the grace of God go I.... well written article. Editor's Note: Thanks, Marilyn.
Editor's Note: :)
Editor's Note: I think the day Challenger exploded should be one of those noted holidays, like Pearl Harbor Day, or 9-11 or my birthday.
Thanks, Little John.
Editor's Note: I heard pleanty about everybody. While I had to look up and learn the names all over again, none of them were unfamiliar to me.
# 1. 1/27/10 2:50 PM by Jim Mattison
I was in a satelite terminal at Peterson Air Force base setting aquisition targets for a NORAD satelite that was aboard ship for deployment...Most of us just cried, it was hard not to.
# 2. 1/27/10 3:12 PM by albert 1
I was a Verizon technician out on my lunch break that started at 1130 AM.
# 3. 1/27/10 8:16 PM by John The Joonior
One hell of a heavenly inspired article. I loved it.
# 4. 1/28/10 7:55 AM by deep water - Lake Oneipeein
I remember I was nursing a hangover,(college days) and was watching the launch.
# 5. 1/28/10 7:59 AM by BF
I was at home, trying to stay warm, pregnant with my first, wondering what sort of world I was bringing her into.
# 6. 1/28/11 8:32 AM by Marilyn
I was working at the High School. During the previous summer, I had typed for a Teacher of ours an application and essay as to why he wanted to be the teacher on that shuttle. I remember he and I cried when we heard what happened. There but for the grace of God go I. One of those forks in the road of life. That being said, I commend your article. Thanks for remembering. I will ask Sweet Petunia if it was mentioned in school....
# 7. 1/28/11 8:55 AM by Mark - Greece
I was doing a safety inspection on a hoist at Kodak. Interestingly, a few days later my job took me to their incinerator plant to check the crane that moved the burnable material. In the pit were thousands of cameras. Kodak had planned to unveil a new line of cameras called "Challenger,' but immediately scrapped the idea and destroyed all the stock.
# 8. 1/29/11 9:21 AM by Lynne
I was teaching, it was my free period, and I was in the teacher's lounge grading papers. I didn't even know it had happened until I got to my next class. When the kids told me, I cried, along with a lot of them. We didn't do any schoolwork the rest of the day, we just sat around and talked.
# 9. 1/31/13 12:30 PM by Gary - Williamson
I was at work and didn't hear of the disaster until later in the day, like you I spent that evening watching the replays and listening to the communications loop. It was the sort of thing that Americans are not used to seeing, we've grown accustomed to seeing ourselves as too good at things to let something like this happen so when it does it's a shock not just for the loss of life, but for the diminishing of our self image. We go on and regain much of what we lost and hold a special place in our hearts for what cannot be regained or replaced. To answer Albert's question, Reagan's speech was written by Peggy Noonan.
# 10. 1/31/13 2:40 PM by Marilyn
I am about to publish my second book, Biff and one of the final chapters is called - where were you the day the world stopped turning. My thought is to provoke exactly the thoughts you have written extremely well.
# 11. 1/31/13 3:29 PM by Albert 1
Thanks again for this one.
# 12. 1/31/13 5:44 PM by little john - Mount Morris, NY
Thank you for reposting... This day should be remembered and taught in schools as the history of a former, "Next Generation" who went for the stars, where man and woman had never gone before... God Bless them all...AXM
# 13. 1/31/13 6:42 PM by Crippen
Yeah, and all they ever talked about was the non-astronaut (actually, none of them were astronauts in the sense of Apollo generation guys who truly needed the "right stuff") and nary a word about the people who actually had some business being on that ship in the first place.