Forty years ago today

[Rider77]

Forty years ago today the Challenger exploded shortly after blast off. A tragedy before the eyes of the public during live news broadcast. Many may not be aware but there is a memorial dedicated to the crew that died that morning in Arlington Cemetery.

 

[IrishEyes]

I remember that event. It was very shocking and left so much to your imagination.
That and the Apollo splash down, very emotional events. Thank you for posting.

 

[Rider77]

One of those events that causes us to recall where we were and what we were doing. I had a small color TV that I had gotten for Christmas on the credenza in my office. I returned from a staff meeting to find the entire department staff crowded around that small screen as the new program played the video repeatedly with narration of the event.

 

[Rider77]

I have an odd experience related to 911. We all recall what we were doing that day. That was one day before the first anniversary of the day our son died in a car accident. I was dreading that event, then 911 occurred and everyone's attention was focused on that tragedy. My point is that it took the focus away from the grief we were feeling. I don't wish to diminish the tragedy that we all witnessed but I admit that it allowed our family to endure our own tragey with a little more privacy.

 

[hollydolly]

Forty years ago today the Challenger exploded shortly after blast off. A tragedy before the eyes of the public during live news broadcast. Many may not be aware but there is a memorial dedicated to the crew that died that morning in Arlington Cemetery.

It just hardly seems credible that it happened 40 years ago..if I had been asked I would have said 15 maybe 20 at a push..but 40 ?..that's scary!

 

[hearlady]

I remember being heartbroken. Her mother's face. I'll never forget it.

 

[KSav]

I remember being heartbroken. Her mother's face. I'll never forget it.

I won't either. That was awful. The looks of incomprehension—or, should I say, the looks of dawning comprehension—on the McAuliffes' faces shocked me to the core. At first, I was furious with the news media for not turning their cameras away, but I'm not sure anyone was thinking straight in the moment.

 

[Babs2u]

It was a beautiful day weatherwise. I was leaving a class in Connecticut and heard it on the car radio. I was about to drive to Long Island to visit my father who was suffering from cancer. The news was devastaing. My dad died a couple of weeks later.

 

[WhatInThe]

One of those events one will always remember even more than the last shuttle disaster(Columbia) even though a little over 20 years ago.

RIP

 

[OneEyedDiva]

I remember I had gotten back to work from lunch and my supervisor, with a somber look on his face, told me what happened. The astronauts were so happy and likely proud to have been chosen for that mission. I thought about how horrible it must've been for their loved ones and Christa McAuliffe's students to witness that! May they all continue resting in peace.

I did not know about the memorial. It is nice that they are commemorated in this way. I'm wondering if these are in the same cemetery.

 

[Rider77]

It just hardly seems credible that it happened 40 years ago..if I had been asked I would have said 15 maybe 20 at a push..but 40 ?..that's scary!

Time has a way of sneaking up on.