Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 TODAY - 25 years later - the valiant crew perished on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Coincidentally, we had been involved in the space program for 25 years at that point. Never forget the sacriface that has been made by them and all space adventurers before and after for that matter - God bless ~ http://www.youtube.c...player_embedded GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EE Taft Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 GG, thanks for posting. In day to day life one can forget things like this. We should all remember these brave souls. ~EE Taft~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulp, SASS#28319 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I had applied to be the teacher in space. I was so jealous when Christa McCauliff walked into the shuttle with the rest of the crew. I was home sick that day, so I got to watch the whole thing. My wife was working, so I called her and told if my wishes had come true I be dead now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I was walking back from engineering class in Mahan Hall when somebody told me the news. I threw my books on the bed and went to the day room to watch. It's still as surreal as it was that day. Has it been 25 years already? God's Speed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashpowder Hal Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Since ah w*#ked at Edwards AFB inda 70's - 80's, ah gotz ta watch the first dozen shuttle landings there. Ah took some nice photos of da Challenger when it landed as Pres. Reagan watched on I felt very priveledged ta witness that part of history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 I was in my 1st period class at Newport Harbor High in my senior year. The school used the PA to announce it. It was a solemn day.... GG ~ USA flag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montana Slick, SASS #64415 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Not so strange that we kin remember where and what we were doing on that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 Not so strange that we kin remember where and what we were doing on that day. No it's not... GG ~ USA flag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I was teaching a class at the police academy. Found out on a break. Didn't get much done that afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EE Taft Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I was in first grade.......... But I remember it like yesterday....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spanish Bit Bobb Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I was at work an we watched it on TV. Called my wife who worked on tha space shuttle program at Rockwell, her department didn't see or hear anything about it till I told her. She said they new something was up as the head honcho's were scambling and requesting files and records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 It's one of my darkest days, the sun never shines... I was there, stationed on a US Navy ship underway in the gulf. Ships crew on deck watching the lift off...I remember how cold it was, everyone wearing watch caps, pea coats & gloves. I remember the sound of cheering at lift off, muffled sound of clapping with gloves on. Then a silence I will never forget. Then everyone was talking at once...What just happened??!! Our Captain realized what had just occurred and sounded GENERAL QUARTERS. We started heading that way at full speed. Within about ½ hr we were given our orders to support rescue & recovery (we were about 60 miles away by then). We ended up standing off and supporting the operation with helo ops and small craft support. Bottles set em up for a toast to the memories of flight STS-51-L crew: Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Make mine a double it's gonna be a long day. Chili Pepper Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 It's one of my darkest days, the sun never shines... I was there, stationed on a US Navy ship underway in the gulf. Ships crew on deck watching the lift off...I remember how cold it was, everyone wearing watch caps, pea coats & gloves. I remember the sound of cheering at lift off, muffled sound of clapping with gloves on. Then a silence I will never forget. Then everyone was talking at once...What just happened??!! Our Captain realized what had just occurred and sounded GENERAL QUARTERS. We started heading that way. Within about ½ hr we were given our orders to support rescue & recovery (we were about 60 miles away by then). We ended up standing off and supporting the operation with helo ops and small craft support. Bottles set em up for a toast to the memories of flight STS-51-L crew: Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Make mine a double it's gonna be a long day. Chili Pepper Kid God bless and thank you for your service Chili Pepper Kid... GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BONNIE BULLET, SASS 53118 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I was running a real estate school in Tampa Florida. The building had a flat roof where you could go to for lunch or just some fresh air. Had a class of 80 that day and even though it was cold, it was a bright sunny morning. We decided to take a break and go up to the roof to see if we could see the launch. About the time we spotted it, it went everywhere. We all just stopped and stared for what seemed like forever. Then we ran back in to turn on the TV hoping that our fears were unfounded. It was not to be. Twenty five years ago, wow. Doesn't seem that long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montana Slick, SASS #64415 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Just some history for thought, Dick Scoby was from Auburn Wa.and an elementary school there was named after him. I worked in Auburn and I recall my dispatcher announcing over the radio of the tragedy and saw it on the evening news. A Man aint supposed to cry, but a lot of fine folks cried on that day. MS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Lee Bishop Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 In a way I can’t believe it’s been that long. I was 16 at the time and in high school. I can’t for the life of me remember why I was home that day, as I know I wasn’t sick (maybe it was a teacher’s planning day?), but I didn’t watch the launch as it actually happened. We didn’t even have the TV on and on the radio they said there had “been an explosion aboard the space shuttle”. My Mom and I just stared at each other with an “Uh oh” look on our faces. I had taken that initially to mean maybe some oxygen bottle or experiment had gone up, not that the whole thing was blown apart. Like everyone else, we spent the next few days watching the news, wondering how it had happened. I grew up in Florida, way north of where they launched them, but we could see night launches as a slow red dot if the skies were clear. We went down to the area to see two launched, both of which were scrubbed moments before they were to go up, so I never got the chance to see a shuttle leave the pad. The closest I ever got to seeing one in flight was when the 747 transporter buzzed my hometown in 1992 with the Discovery on its back: http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/displayphoto.cfm?IMGURL=http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/reference/rc13618.jpg&IMGTEXT=%5BSpace%20shuttle%20Discovery%20flying%20over%20Florida%27s%20capitol%20building%5D%20%5Bgraphic%5D&IMGTITLE=RC13618 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 In a way I can't believe it's been that long. I was 16 at the time and in high school. I can't for the life of me remember why I was home that day, as I know I wasn't sick (maybe it was a teacher's planning day?), but I didn't watch the launch as it actually happened. We didn't even have the TV on and on the radio they said there had "been an explosion aboard the space shuttle". My Mom and I just stared at each other with an "Uh oh" look on our faces. I had taken that initially to mean maybe some oxygen bottle or experiment had gone up, not that the whole thing was blown apart. Like everyone else, we spent the next few days watching the news, wondering how it had happened. I grew up in Florida, way north of where they launched them, but we could see night launches as a slow red dot if the skies were clear. We went down to the area to see two launched, both of which were scrubbed moments before they were to go up, so I never got the chance to see a shuttle leave the pad. The closest I ever got to seeing one in flight was when the 747 transporter buzzed my hometown in 1992 with the Discovery on its back: http://www.floridame...MGTITLE=RC13618 Cool picture pard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EE Taft Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Very cool picture, Pard!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montana Slick, SASS #64415 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Nice pik, tawk about being in the right place at the right time. Dick Scoby is still our hometown hero here in Auburn Wa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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