What were you doing 25 years ago when this happened?

[OregonRS]

I was 15 years old home sick from school laying on the couch watching the launch when it happened. I can still remember it clearly.

[Havok]

I would have been about 5 months old, so probably not doing anything else besides sleeping, eating, and or pooping.

BTW note, which makes this worse, the astronauts are believed to have survived the explosion and only died when they hit the water or land (forgot where their compartment landed). So they basically free falled conscious.

[Russell James]

I was in a college welding class welding a roll cage in a '67 Camaro drag car. Gotta love elective courses.

The instructor had a radio going in his office and told us what happened.

[Michelle42780]

I was 5, I don't remember

[vinman]

9th grade in social studies I believe

[Trailnut]

Driving around in my first Corvette ('78). But that was such a sad day for America.

[bigted83]

I was 2

[el ess A]

That was half my life ago and I was in the Navy then. I was eating cube steak and mashed potatos at lunch on the living barge in the Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard (Kittery, Maine, actually) while our submarine was in overhaul. The TV was on and because that teacher was on board and she was fairly local, it was on all over the place. It started off routinely like just about every other shuttle launch went up to then. I remember saying "WTF?" when the trails split off. It was a couple of moments before it sank in as to what really happened.

I remember Reagan's speech on it later that night, and his way with words as to make you feel like the healing started. That man's communication ability to go straight to the average American was unequaled in my lifetime.

[MAGfuz]

I was only 9 and a half months old. So I really don't remember this, but seeing it on the news as years went on! Horrible tragedy.

[toesuf94]

Middle school...our principal came on the PA system and announced that there had been an explosion...they dismissed us early. I can still remember Mr. Fowler's voice cracking as he broke down with the news. I sat in the library at school and watched it being replayed. Then played Oregon Trail on an Apple IIe while we waited to see if the large capsule containing the astronauts could possibly have made it through the explosion. I saw it was 25 years ago this week and I cannot believe it.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by el ess X

I remember Reagan's speech on it later that night, and his way with words as to make you feel like the healing started. That man's communication ability to go straight to the average American was unequaled in my lifetime.

That speach could bring tears to ANYONES eyes. I've never been real in favor of most of much of the space program but back then, I didn't have an opinion either way. It helped to shape my opinion but that speach was something I'll NEVER forget.

Awesome post.

[ron10]

was at work watching it happen on TV.i could not believe it was happening.

[Berean]

11th grade Lit class. They wheeled in a TV for us to watch it.

[LoneStar]

I was yet to be born...