Re: 28 Jan 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger
Remembering where I was when Challenger exploded is not difficult - I was in the Space Science Building at Ga. Tech., attending a professional aviation conference.
When the accident occurred, we were interrupted and told what had happened. The session was immediately terminated and we all went out into a foyer that had a bunch of television sets mounted in triangular columns. Aside from the repetition of the video of the actual explosion, what I remember the most was the students. They were young men and women who's career aspirations were centered around the space program, and I think they were more shattered than the rest of us. That is not to say that we were not all somewhat in a state of shock, but it seemed especially painful for the students.
For those who were young enough to have been in grade school on that day, I am glad that schools had progressed a bit in how to deal with distraught kids. I was in fourth grade when Kennedy was asassinated, and we happened to be in the school's auditorium watching the motorcade when it happened - we actually saw it live. It was a pretty frightening thing for young kids because everyone, starting with the teachers, was pretty much "losing it." Of course, as soon as the teachers started bawling, the kids were all crying too, until the Principal got the teachers to calm down. All things considered, though, the school did a good job in dealing with us, as did our parents.
These are, indeed, very sad events that we remember to our last days.
