I usually have to mull over the weekly prompts for @ericvancewalton's initiative, Memoir Monday. I hit the jackpot this week: my answer to this week's prompt came to me instantly.
We are to answer the question "What is the first major news story you lived through as a child?" My first thought was not the assassination of JFK, even though that death preceded my chosen news story by a good three years. While I was aware of JFK's death, and could see that most people were freaked out, as an eight year old, I wasn't mindful of the news surrounding JFK's murder-on-high; I only knew that he had died.
Mostly, I didn't pay any attention to the news when I was a child. Life was all about heading outside whenever possible, finding places under bushes to use as hidden clubhouses, climbing trees higher than anyone else, jumping off swing sets farther than anyone else, riding bikes or skateboards, digging holes to China, dreaming of becoming an astronaut (no kidding!) and playing baseball in the neighbor's backyard. School was something I had no choice about, so I dutifully went. I don't remember doing very much homework in elementary school. Things were very different back then!
That all changed in sixth grade. In sixth grade I got a teacher I really liked, Mrs. Post, who was stern, yes, but also gave us interesting assignments. I started getting serious about school work.
Each sixth grade child was assigned a day to report to the class on the news of the day before. Most of the news in 1967 seemed dull, and I was afraid I would have nothing captivating to report. Even way back then, I enjoyed putting on a good show, and feared being boring to the point of being mostly silent. Luckily for me, I was assigned January 29, 1967 as my day to report the news. And I hit pay dirt with that date!
I remember being very excited that I would be reporting big news the day after three astronauts died in a fire aboard their space capsule, less than a month before they were scheduled to be launched into orbit.
I have no recollection of what I said that day. I know I brought a copy of the front page of the NYTimes, as pictured below. I can remember gravely holding it up to show to my rapt audience, while inwardly gloating about my good fortune at getting the biggest news story of all.
Anyone who follows me won't be surprised where my mind has gone on this event now, conspiracy theory minded that I am. I tried to find out how this could have happened; it seems impossible that an entire crew could have died while still on the ground and simply conducting a test.
I found the below, very lame, "explanation" in this article, which I had to use the wayback machine to find.
Because the test took place with the rocket unfueled, it had been considered non-hazardous and was not reviewed by the relevant safety organizations. Therefore, no provisions were made for rescuing the astronauts or treating injured crew members or pad crew in case of an accident.
And here is the article that appeared in the NYTimes if you'd like to read it. It's the one I crafted my brilliant report from.
Like after nearly all government-conducted investigations that have been conducted during my lifetime, there was neither a final nor a believable pronouncement of what, exactly, went wrong, even though there were several months of investigations. According to the results, the loss of three highly trained astronauts, and a whole lot of technology, was merely a senseless accident. The best scientific brains of that time couldn't figure out why it happened.
One has to wonder if it were not necessary to silence one or more of the astronauts.
This is my entry to @ericvancewalton's seventh Memoir Monday installment. Every week Eric posts a question about our lives for us to answer, in hopes that, after a year, the participants will have produced a valuable collection of memories.
In Eric's words:
Someday all that will be left of our existence are memories of us, our deeds, and words. It's up to you to leave as rich of a heritage as possible for future generations to learn from. So, go ahead, tell your stories!
NotEverything is a conspiracy you know!:)I know!!! When it comes to my government, I trust nothing.
This was something that I had forgotten about and it happened 50 miles from me.
I never paid much mind to the rockets but I do remember the planes breaking the sound barrier, sometimes they flew over me close enough that I could see the pilot and see him waving at me, then I knew what was coming, a boom so loud that I could feel it.
Isn't it funny how we become used to extraordinary events? I think my family was glued to the telly for every rocket launch, 1000 miles away.
Yes, it is, People who move here are posting every time a rocket goes up. I think with me we get so used to seeing them go up that we do not even go outside to watch, we hear the boom and say, they sent another up, and that is as far as it goes with us.
When Challenger blew up I was in the car with my sister and we were near a causeway and I told her lets pull over and watch it go up, I wish I had never done that, we could see the capsule falling, it is a vision I can not unsee.
oh my goodness! So the one you did watch was the Challenger. You were right there. That must have been awful.
I was not at the Cape, I was 50 miles away from it, it does not go straight up, it will go up and then it takes a more southeastern angle and we were south of it which put it not far from us. It was a cold clear day and it was easy to make it out and see the capsule falling.
While watching the capsule fall I did not know they were still alive, with all the pieces falling I could not imagine them living through it, later the news said they were alive until they hit the ocean. We were listening to the radio and I will never forget the announcer's words " It looks like we have a major malfunction". I looked at my sister and said, "Do you think they had a major malfunction?". :(
Ohhhhh to witness that tragedy. Historic. Cannot unsee....
What an intriguing mystery landed on your lap just in time. I couldn't help myself and asked Copilot about it, so this is the response:
The Tragic Incident:
It seems like a terrible way to die, if this is indeed what really happened.
Thanks for digging a little here. My report says the burns were not serious, and that CO and other fumes were the likely killer. So we have another contradictory report.
This was also the time of the cold war, so paranoia was running rampant in those days. This event likely had national security implications as well, so the more confusion, the better.
But why do Americans so easily accept reports that are ambiguous, at best? We don't seem to care. Maybe life is easier that way? I can't help but ask questions.
Good questions. I know they're rhetorical but I can't help wonder aloud. Partly, I think the limited amount of information available at the time memory-holed this mystery. All the major newspapers, publishers, and TV networks were in the hands of a few people who controlled the narrative. So, people just accepted it. Now things are different with so much media available, but the mystery has receded from our collective memories.
I've been wondering for days what your post might be! I've, oddly, never heard about this accident (or at least don't remember it). It wouldn't surprise me that this wasn't taught in the Columbus public school system while I was enrolled, it was already in pretty steep decline in the 70's/80's. As I was reading your post I was wondering why the don't have a special day of remembrance for astronauts who've lost their lives in accidents? Just wait until you see next week's prompt! ; )
With bated breath, I await.
You've been wondering what I would post?! I feel all warm and fuzzy now.
that's a good question. there have been quite a few of them, gave their lives to "science," or so we've been told. I wonder if everything that happens isn't really a brain-washing show for us. Believe nothing!!! That's much easier for me to than to believe what we are being told, which usually seems preposterous. Our congresspeople celebrating, waving little flags, their decision to make US taxpayers fund murders of even more people in the middle east and the Ukraine for instance. Or the prosecution of a former president for things that are not even crimes for another. I don't support Trump, btw, I use this as an example of the "for show" effect. He's in on it all, I suspect.
Lol. Yes! I remember how excited you were when you first saw this week's prompt.
It's good to have a healthy distrust of our leaders! I think this is very much what the people who founded this country intended but we've strayed so far off that path.
We just recently binged West Wing (it took two months -- 7 seasons, 20+ eps per season) and I'm glad we did. It's fiction but based pretty closely on reality and it was mind blowing how much our culture has changed in the last 23 years. It was equally as compelling to learn about the inner workings of how our government conducts its business.
This next Presidential election is going to be a complete and total sh!tshow. It looks like they might actually shut Trump out of the election with these legal problems he's facing. I can't even imagine another four years of Biden (or Newsome or whomever they decide to run when/if Biden steps down due to health issues). I'm liking RFK Jr. more and more as time goes on. Even if he pulls off a miracle -- gets on all the ballots and wins the election the odds will still be stacked against him. At least we know he's a fighter .We are definitely at a very low point in our country but I haven't given up hope yet.
With things as surreal as they have been the last four years, I would not be the least surprised if Trump is both elected and imprisoned. I now believe politics is all for show, and that would be very entertaining. RFK supports some very good things, but his VP pick has close ties to Google, and he supports the continued genocide in Palestine. Not surprisingly, the top "contenders" (who could be on the same team) all do.
I would consider voting for Dr. Shiva. the first video I ever saw of his was this one which I found refreshing. Of course, there's always the possibility that he, too, is controlled opposition just spouting his assigned lines.
That certainly seems to be the way it's headed for Trump. Meanwhile we have "Cornpop" barely able to read a teleprompter or know what day it is. At a campaign rally yesterday he actually read the direction out loud that was supposed to be silent. He said, "Four more years! Pause.". Lord help us.
RFK Jr.'s VP pick was disappointing to me too. She has youth on her side though and she has a thorough understanding of A.I., which I believe will be one of the biggest blessings (and curses) of the last two-hundred years. It's going to get really wild, very quickly.
I'll check out Dr. Shiva! I've made my mind up that I'm done voting for the lessor of two evils. No more of that for me.
One of those has already been selected as the next president. It's a waste of time to vote for one of them. It might actually be a waste of time to vote in national elections at all, except for the chance to get others to see what else is out there. A strong showing for RFK would bring medical injury (which is subtly presenting in chronic illnesses) into the American consciousness, for instance.
Now here's a politician I would vote for
I'm no expert, but I'm inclined to think that if Trump is removed from the election, there could be a civil war.
I wish I were wrong. War is always misery! Although in that case, it would definitely become unnecessary for the government to fund distant conflicts, and then our war would have a chance to stop. lol
Nothing personal, have a nice day!
You mean there was news when I was growing up?
Like you, I didn't pay one bit of attention to that sort of thing, of course you couldn't miss the JFK thing and a few more, no matter what.
That's pretty funny how you felt you hit the news jackpot. What great luck ! 😄
It really was! lol. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
The first story that really impacted me has a similar theme though it is from a bit later. We were watching in my 5th grade class:
I was watching that one live. Such a shock! Unforgettable.
That’s an incident I’ve never heard of. Interesting. And interesting to see how your perception of it has changed over the years.
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Every Tomboy antic in the book sounds very familiar, now JFK assassination I remember on the radio although never really got to know who he was until much older.
Not having TV nor making headlines here we heard about the accidents happening during build up with space race. Made the news when the landing took place, now there are still conspiracy around that too!
Great memory from back when !LOLZ
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