Challenger: 30 Years Ago Today

[Bailey Guns]

I was in the dayroom of the vo-tech, watching the launch before my class started. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I disagree with the idea of stacking death against death. Every death diminishes us in some way; these astronauts represented a much bigger picture, and a far loftier and hopeful goal. They were our bridge to the stars. They were never alone; those of us avidly following the story of the Challenger and her crew were with them in spirit.

Yep, me, too. Yes, death is an everyday occurrence. But it's not, to me, simply a matter of "they knew the risk, they took the risk". Our forefathers, the founders of our country, "knew the risk and took the risk" of rebelling against the king. I'm glad they chose to take the risk just like I'm glad others take risk on my behalf.

All of us have benefited immensely from the space program and it's been a source, rightly so, of tremendous national pride. I'm glad they crew of the Challenger, and Columbia, and all the others before and after were willing to take the risk.

[mindfold]

So strange, I was my son's age when it happened. All the crap we take so serious today, I truly don't think he will remember or care about any of it 30 years from now.

[funkymonkey1111]

A good portion of the members here didnt even know about the 1983 Beriut bombing that killed 241 American serviceman.

i don't want to get too far into the weeds here, but how do you arrive at this conclusion?

[hurley842002]

I had just turned 2....

[JohnnyDrama]

Being the FNG in my unit, I was pulled to go clean the newly arrived M-16A2s at our unit armory. I remember information being sketchy at first, a lot of disbelief, then getting to see the footage at the barracks.

RIP

[blacklabel]

I was born on the 11th and stayed in the hospital due to pneumonia and a hole in one of my lungs. I was released on the day that Challenger was lost. It's always been an odd day for me because of that.

[gnihcraes]

Senior year high school. Select few were at a retreat in Monument with most other local high schools. few hundred of us, they announced this happened. Silence, couldn't believe it. RIP.

Someone else mentioned above, my kid is the same age/year/school as I was. interesting.

[Ridge]

My mom worked for a company that designed and built the main engines on the Shuttle. She tells me they were in panic mode until it was discovered to be the SRB that failed.

[TheGrey]

I look at it like this...

A good portion of the members here didnt even know about the 1983 Beriut bombing that killed 241 American serviceman. Those men who died, didnt do it to be remembered and they were looking for fame. They did it ouf of a sense of duty. Nobody knows and nobody cares about their lives. Astronauts are celebrities so people care. Death is all around us. They went looking for it and found it.

That's mighty cynical, and I think you're overreaching when you're basing a suggestion of bifurcation ("only a few people responded, so either they didn't know or didn't care") to support the idea. The dichotomy of the events begin and end solely with the media- but the media outlets do not get to decide how we feel or what we think about situations (no matter how much they want to.)

Because those servicemen died (out of a sense of duty) does not make their deaths any ore outrageous or tragic. The astronauts that died may have been made celebrities through the attention of everyone on them, but I don't think they were sleeping until noon or snorting coke like rock stars. Being an astronaut is hard. I suspect they felt a sense of duty, and a sense of patriotism to America as well. Servicemen don't have a monopoly on duty and pride in their country.

I get that our opinions differ on this subject, Hbar. But I don't fit into that neat little box of "no one cares they died." I suspect there are many others here that also feel very strongly about the loss of servicemen/servicewomen, just as they mourn the loss of the Challenger crew, a favorite rock star, or the tragic and senseless loss of those two teenage boys in Parker.

There's enough love to appreciate them when they are alive, and mourn them when they are gone. Why should people have to choose either-or?

/end philosophy

[Zman]

Was my last year in college ... at a friends house skipping class to watch the launch ... spent the rest of the day in the NROTC lounge with friends in disbelief.