Survivor is my Name: Voices of the Cokeville Elementary School Bombing. Produced by Wyoming State Archives for Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, the package includes interviews with 14 people about the events of May 16, 1986. Many recalled praying silently, forming prayer circles and seeing angels during the crisis. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, when David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. Whether or not you believe in God or miracles, show some respect. Mark Junge: And you know, in Sue and I's conversation with these dozen people we've talked to now, seems like they also feel the same way you do. ", Families and neighbors were in that room together, comforting and one another, "I don't remember what I uttered in that simple prayer almost 30 years ago, but I do know that as I sat there and held hands with other survivors, Heavenly Father was aware of us and listening," said Katie Walker Payne, then a first grader. On that Friday afternoon in their quiet, rural town, a deranged couple entered the communitys elementary school, took those inside hostage and detonated a bomb in a first grade classroom. Mark Junge: Well, yes. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. TC is one of my heroes. He shot and killed her. Rich Haskell: Well, I didn't know a lot about 'em and I still don't know a lot about 'em. By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. He held all of the 154 people in the school hostage and threatened to blow up the school if he did not . Mark Junge: Well, and it burned some of the kids. She was there and saved me. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. Totally destroyed it! On May 16, 1986, he and his wife, Doris, invaded a classroom at Cokeville Elementary School and held 136 children and 17 teachers hostage with a crudely . While severely injured, Miller would later recover. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . Go to school and learn how to do it." Cokeville seems like a pretty small town. The Cokeville Miracle Free with ads PG-13 YouTube Movies & TV 160M subscribers Subscribe 23K Share Children who were held hostage in their elementary school tell stories of miraculous things,. She had a "teacher" help her out of the burning classroom who she did not recognize at the time. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. By Liz Carlston, Contributor Author, Traveler and Culture Observer Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. I know there's angels. Mark Junge: No? He was the father of two, but was estranged from his elder daughter. The connection that my brain was making with my kids being in first grade and what happened to me in first grade was hard to control. You HAVE to find the positives or the negatives can eat you up the rest of your life. "My brother came over and told my sister and me to go sit by the window. Don't push any alarms, answer any phones, or call for help. With Columbine, one clear pattern I noticed in the tragedy's aftermath is that half the community turned to God, choosing to learn from the incident while others buried their hurt, embittered by the pain and senselessness. I know it is real. I learned that angels are real and that they are very much involved in our lives when necessary. As reporters converged on Cokeville, another story emerged. Rich Haskell: I did not. Katie has always . Do you ever think about that? The kids couldn't have cut it. One of the unique things that I noticed when I went into that room and I don't know if any of the other people have told you about it or whatever else, but when I walked into that room you could see the outline on the whiteboard of an angel. Speaking about PTSD, Jennie knows what her triggers are. I wondered what that was, but then immediately noticed my friends over by the door talking to Doris. julia executable path linux; pascal desprez nouvelle compagne; nombre de concession automobile en france; devenir tonton pour les nuls; forum auto sondage urinaire; une sci peut elle acheter du matriel; spectroscopie infrarouge cours; consultation tcc en ligne; levage border collie occitanie Because it was sittin' low enough and the kids were low enough that it would have done it. In 1986 in a quiet, rural town, two people armed with a bomb entered the communitys elementary school. Because of the tiles and the window? The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. Rich Haskell: Pretty sophisticated guy is what he was. Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? Wyoming has a lot of money as far as the state is concerned. They just didn't let it die out. Flipboard. And that was their whole intent of coming to Cokeville. Trauma is trauma and everyone deals with it differently. Well, he had put wooden shelves for layers. Young met his second wife, Doris Waters, while in Cokeville. They had both been married before and had children one daughter for Doris and two for David. The Power of Faith: 25 Years After School Bombing, Town Remembers Story of Survival., Mitchell, Ruth Ann. I simply got on my knees and started crawling in the exact direction I needed to go.". It was there for a long time, all that support. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. Anything? Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. neal's lodges buzzards roost; washington state unemployment login; best budget all in one pc. Rich Haskell: Approximately three and a half days. Sheriff Ron Hartley will overlook his skepticism when he witnesses a miraculous intervention during the siege. where there's only a limited population, that's going to throw the fear of God into everybody. ", "When my last son reached the end of first grade, I had the opportunity to tell them about the traumatic event in my life. He was dismissed, however, from this position shortly after his six-month probationary period. Survivor relives the Cokeville hostage crisis - YouTube cokeville miracle debunked. I don't know what. Mark Junge: You think when we talk to you to bring this up againI know you're emotional about itbut does it hurt you to talk about this? I mean, not everybody would do this. I mean, we're talking about from kindergarten kids up to 10-, 11-, 12-years old. Chaos ensued. Mark Junge: Are you one of the most experienced people in the area? He had tried this deviceand they were designed tothat it would be a delayed explosion. Katie Walker tells the story of what she saw that day, and why it's important to have pictures of your ancestors. "I never said anything to anyone until we were looking through some family albums with my grandma when I was 11 or 12," Jennie said. I think he went in the Marine Corps because of me and served 25 years and retired. Rich Haskell: Approximately an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes. There are several great resources out there. Then, shortly after 1 PM, mother, father, and daughter abandoned the van and walked through the schools front doors. The photo of Rich Haskell is by Wyoming State Archives. Accessed May 28, 2013 at. Rich Haskell: Sure. Audio/Video Recording. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. After a stand-off lasting two and a half hours, the gasoline bomb the couple had brought into the school went off prematurely, badly burning Doris Young while David Young was out of the room. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. I don't know. I did see the lighting had changed in the room, and it was right in the same timeline as everyone else's witness. Young was a former Cokeville town marshal who had been living in Arizona for several years. No, not at all. Sep 29, 2015. Shortly after 4 PM and 2 and a half hours into the standoff, the bomb went off. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. Carbon County School District No. seal island shark attack sinking boat; rancho cucamonga low income housing Have you had anything like this, anything close to this happen? If you are interested in seeing the film, theaters are listed here. They learned to trust in their God, the kids were healed for the most part, and they value life more now. Rich Haskell: Well, as we were talking before we started recording, because of my knowledge with the explosives and with the law enforcement and everything else, I've had many opportunitiesbecause of the explosivesI've been with Vice President Cheney when he was here in Wyoming up in Pinedale. Chalkboards andwhat do they call those?whiteboards, I think they are, along the walls. Sue Castaneda: Carla said that some people were mad that we were there. As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. [easy-social-share buttons=facebook,twitter,google,pinterest,print,mail counters=0 style=icon message=yes]. It's a part of my life, one that I don't frequently revisit, but impossible not to reflect on from time to time. And you could see that she had been burning by just looking at her out on the front lawn. Thank you for sharing your witness that God is real and that He knows about tiny wounds in mortal souls that need a balm of healing. Mark Junge: And that's the lesson we learn. But I walked up to the window and looked inside the window and didn't hardly see anything out of the ordinary except it was all black inside. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. Cokeville Children Held Hostage by Bomber., Cokeville Elementary School Bombing: 25-Years Later. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Fagg, Ellen. the cokeville miracle debunked. Even lead investigator Ron Hartleys son pointed to an image of his grandmother as the angel whod protected him in the fire. Christensen loves a good story. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. I had the chance to watch the pre-screening of the film and it was very emotional. They messed with the kids and that brought a whole communityin fact, it brought the whole western half of the state all together. The town has worked to be as respectful as possible to the multitude of experiences that day. This is actually the first time I have heard of this. TC, I think, saw it the same way. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. The preservation of 154 lives; the wires on the bomb being cut clean to cripple the blast; the windows being open for ventilation carried the smoke out; the shrapnel and bullets exploding from the bomb not touching or injuring a single person; the bomb blasting upwards instead of outwards; the right people being in the right place at the right time to provide Immediate help after the bomb exploded and students being prepared because of an increase of fire drills in the preceding weeks. David Youngs journals and writings reveal that he was a troubled man who spent many years grappling with deep philosophical questionsabout mans existence, the afterlife and spirituality. You could walk across the street and get run over as far as that's concerned, but I don't know if my wife has any more gray hairs because I've chosen this profession. Rich Haskell: Yes, I did. Rich Haskell: Oh my goodness! Of course, I can imagine the noise that it made. But shortly after entering the school, Princess decided to rebel. Rich Haskell: Yes. I absolutely have. It would have killed them. You know, the kids have forgot about it, let's let 'em move on. Mark Junge: Well, you've been blessed in a lot of ways. In the movie, it shows the tension building towards the prayer and then shortly after the bomb went off. There are some survivors that couldn't believe how accurate much of it was. The film was based on the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis in 1986 and the book The Cokeville Miracle: When Angels Intervene by Hartt Wixom and Judene Wixom. The heat of the summer day made the crowded room feel even smaller, and fumes from the gasoline bomb made everyone sick. Well, after interviewing some of the people, what had happened, the bombDavid Young had set the bomb to have what they call a dead-man switch. Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? Cokeville Trying to Rebuild A Normal and Secure Life.. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, EMT Glenna Walker, Mother of Three Young Children, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Public Works Director and Fireman Kevin Walker, Father of Three Young Children, on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Second grade teacher Carol Petersen on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Rachel Walker Hollibaugh on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Jamie Buckley King on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade teacher Kliss Sparks on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade student LeaKae Roberts on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. As time progressed, however, a different story emerged in this highly religious and largely Mormon community. In most cases I have deleted redundant ands, ers, uhs, buts, false starts, etc. That's a true line in the movie. Can you describe this? On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a married couple with a bomb. Mark Junge: They weren't big enough, in a way. One thing to mention is that the tension in real life seemed much more present at first, and then once prayers were said the mood really lifted. It's about the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis, which occurred on May 16th, 1986, in Cokeville, Wyoming, where the former town marshal, David Young, and his wife, Doris Young, took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School. We didn't know if the blasting caps were in therejust exactly what was in there. Kameron Wixom, son of Hartt and Judene Wixom, writes a childlike faith saved us. In his contribution to the Witness to Miracles book, Kameron writes: I didnt have to see angels, hear them, or even think that their presence might be required that day. At the same time, adults and children alike reported feeling embraced by a warm blanket while waiting in the classroom. These are designed to just spread out the particles all over the air. Rich Haskell: No, it's not. I saw an early screening of the film and absolutely loved it. Rich Haskell: Well, I did learn later that the kids saw the angels. The knowledge that God lives, and is still a God of miracles in this modern day has molded much of my thinking.". It was not a teacher, but her ancestor. When David emerged, he shot his nearly-dead wife before shooting wildly into the surrounding smoke. So we took the tiles off and went up into the ceiling and crawled up into the upper space up there and found a .45 slug up embedded into the iron girders up in the wall, and thought, okay, where did that come from? It sounds like surefire fodder for a faith-based film, which is exactly what "The Cokeville Miracle" is. He did deliver our salvation that day. You can see what's happening in the world today. If I cant get answers I'll probably leave the church. "If this story is going to continue to be told, we want that to be the message of hope. . Rich Haskell: No. He instructed Doris and Princess, by now a young adult, to handcuff them inside his van. Number one, that's where he worked. I have triggers and I still struggle sometimes, though I will not let that day define who I become. The Cokeville Miracle. I want to really live and make a positive difference in the lives of others.". Mark Junge: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? For more information about our sponsors and the people behind WyoHistory.org, visit our About Us page: Hostage crisis at the elementary school in Cokeville, Wyo. I contacted the dispatch up in Kemmerer to get firsthand information as to having second- and third-hand information and they informed me that the school indeed had been taken hostage. Why are the spouses of Church leaders given a more Field Trip: An Organ Recital of Bach at BYU-Jerusalem, Question for members who grew up pre 2000. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. The tuna fish cans with the two floury would be spread out in the air likehave you ever seen a grain elevator explosion? He used to work in Cokeville. During his six months in that position, he met and married local waitress and singer Doris Waters. I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. Now you've got problems. Mark Junge: Do you think you were cut out to do this job? You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." I was a little bit nervous, of course. Survivors shared their stories with each other, investigators, family members, and hospital personnel. TC (the director) also worked incredibly hard to make this a story that can be widely appreciated by members of all faiths. The bombing of Cokeville Elementary shook the small community to its core and yet vibrated with the power of their Mormon faith. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. They increasingly spoke about their memories in public with professional psychologists, church officials and community counselors. We had people from ATFAlcohol, Tobacco and Firearmsand there was another bomb technician that came up from Evanstonhe was studying to be a bomb technicianand we all looked at that and said, "That wire's been cut." T.C. Rich Haskell: No, I don't think it exited. The windows had been knocked outhad been blown out. But it still sent flames all over in the room and you can see where all the flames were in that room. Focusing on the positive, rather than the negative helped immensely. And, then, shortly after 4 p.m., the bomb exploded. Soon enough, though, he was dismissed from the position after a 6-month probationary period. Thus, when David and Doris Young entered the towns only elementary school with an arsenal of weapons and a gasoline bomb in a grocery cart, no one saw it coming. They did a good job telling this story. Mark Junge: Do you think you've taken more joy out of life because of it? Young, on the other hand, suddenly retreated into the bathroom and shot himself dead. Sue Castaneda: Did you look at (unintelligible). We know for a fact that he had tried that device because he did it in Arizona and totally destroyed a school bus. Mark Junge: Oh, really! ", "I have learned that each healing journey is different and that I can't heal for someone else or take their pain as they walk their own individual healing journey," Katie observes. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, when David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. You can check out [CokevilleMiracle.com] (http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html). There were plenty who opposed this from Cokeville, not a majority, maybe, but they were vocal and raw with feelings. Rich Haskell: And fourteen and a half great-grandchildren. I remember watching that when I was a younger kid, and when they were interviewing the witnesses, I remember several of them referencing "Heavenly Father " instead of "God," and I knew immediately they were LDS. You have to think about what you're doing right at that particular time so you can stay focused on what you have to deal with. I had just cracked a little joke with a toy tank of legos as I drove it "across the death line" or the masking tape square on the floor. "I learned that His tender mercies are everywhere--you just have to look for them," she said. The experience was especially intense for those who had prayed. I believe that our loved ones love us and are aware of us.". I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. On May 16th, 1986, in the small town of Cokeville, Wyoming, David and Doris Young entered the local elementary school with a bomb and held the entire school hostage in one room. As a result, the blast, which should have leveled the entire wing, had gone straight up and so minimized human harm. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. Rich Haskell: There was a reason I was there for some reason. I know that for a fact! I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. How has that experience shaped your life? Cokeville Bombing. Undated scrapbook. His fever broke within minutes of getting it off his chest. --- If you'd like to make a per episode donat For me, the choice to believe in God, seek His hand and learn from the experience seemed the obvious choice. The detonation didn't do it, it was cut. it is VERY LDS, and yet there are at least 3 other churches in town: Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist (and sometimes a non-denominational church). He was so open to their input, and feelings. One of 'em was in Cokeville and one was in the bus that he did the experiment with. Rich Haskell: I think it could be a spiritual experience that I have with church, or being around the kids, I don't know. George Moore helps his son on the boy's first day back at school, the week after the bombing. Flames filled the room, with Doris on fire and several children burnt by the bomb. Mark Junge: What were they designed to do? Director T.C. It became a story of a miracle rather than a tragedy. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Jennie Sorensen Johnson reported a teacher helping her flee the burning classroom, only to recognize the figure much later in life as her long-dead great-aunt. . David set himself near the center of the room with the grocery cart bomb nearby, as Doris went from room to room rounding up people. It killed her instantly. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this?
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Survivor is my Name: Voices of the Cokeville Elementary School Bombing. Produced by Wyoming State Archives for Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, the package includes interviews with 14 people about the events of May 16, 1986. Many recalled praying silently, forming prayer circles and seeing angels during the crisis. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, when David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. Whether or not you believe in God or miracles, show some respect. Mark Junge: And you know, in Sue and I's conversation with these dozen people we've talked to now, seems like they also feel the same way you do. ", Families and neighbors were in that room together, comforting and one another, "I don't remember what I uttered in that simple prayer almost 30 years ago, but I do know that as I sat there and held hands with other survivors, Heavenly Father was aware of us and listening," said Katie Walker Payne, then a first grader. On that Friday afternoon in their quiet, rural town, a deranged couple entered the communitys elementary school, took those inside hostage and detonated a bomb in a first grade classroom. Mark Junge: Well, yes. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. TC is one of my heroes. He shot and killed her. Rich Haskell: Well, I didn't know a lot about 'em and I still don't know a lot about 'em. By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. He held all of the 154 people in the school hostage and threatened to blow up the school if he did not . Mark Junge: Well, and it burned some of the kids. She was there and saved me. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. Totally destroyed it! On May 16, 1986, he and his wife, Doris, invaded a classroom at Cokeville Elementary School and held 136 children and 17 teachers hostage with a crudely . While severely injured, Miller would later recover. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . Go to school and learn how to do it." Cokeville seems like a pretty small town. The Cokeville Miracle Free with ads PG-13 YouTube Movies & TV 160M subscribers Subscribe 23K Share Children who were held hostage in their elementary school tell stories of miraculous things,. She had a "teacher" help her out of the burning classroom who she did not recognize at the time. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. By Liz Carlston, Contributor Author, Traveler and Culture Observer Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. I know there's angels. Mark Junge: No? He was the father of two, but was estranged from his elder daughter. The connection that my brain was making with my kids being in first grade and what happened to me in first grade was hard to control. You HAVE to find the positives or the negatives can eat you up the rest of your life. "My brother came over and told my sister and me to go sit by the window. Don't push any alarms, answer any phones, or call for help. With Columbine, one clear pattern I noticed in the tragedy's aftermath is that half the community turned to God, choosing to learn from the incident while others buried their hurt, embittered by the pain and senselessness. I know it is real. I learned that angels are real and that they are very much involved in our lives when necessary. As reporters converged on Cokeville, another story emerged. Rich Haskell: I did not. Katie has always . Do you ever think about that? The kids couldn't have cut it. One of the unique things that I noticed when I went into that room and I don't know if any of the other people have told you about it or whatever else, but when I walked into that room you could see the outline on the whiteboard of an angel. Speaking about PTSD, Jennie knows what her triggers are. I wondered what that was, but then immediately noticed my friends over by the door talking to Doris. julia executable path linux; pascal desprez nouvelle compagne; nombre de concession automobile en france; devenir tonton pour les nuls; forum auto sondage urinaire; une sci peut elle acheter du matriel; spectroscopie infrarouge cours; consultation tcc en ligne; levage border collie occitanie Because it was sittin' low enough and the kids were low enough that it would have done it. In 1986 in a quiet, rural town, two people armed with a bomb entered the communitys elementary school. Because of the tiles and the window? The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. Rich Haskell: Pretty sophisticated guy is what he was. Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? Wyoming has a lot of money as far as the state is concerned. They just didn't let it die out. Flipboard. And that was their whole intent of coming to Cokeville. Trauma is trauma and everyone deals with it differently. Well, he had put wooden shelves for layers. Young met his second wife, Doris Waters, while in Cokeville. They had both been married before and had children one daughter for Doris and two for David. The Power of Faith: 25 Years After School Bombing, Town Remembers Story of Survival., Mitchell, Ruth Ann. I simply got on my knees and started crawling in the exact direction I needed to go.". It was there for a long time, all that support. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. Anything? Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. neal's lodges buzzards roost; washington state unemployment login; best budget all in one pc. Rich Haskell: Approximately three and a half days. Sheriff Ron Hartley will overlook his skepticism when he witnesses a miraculous intervention during the siege. where there's only a limited population, that's going to throw the fear of God into everybody. ", "When my last son reached the end of first grade, I had the opportunity to tell them about the traumatic event in my life. He was dismissed, however, from this position shortly after his six-month probationary period. Survivor relives the Cokeville hostage crisis - YouTube cokeville miracle debunked. I don't know what. Mark Junge: You think when we talk to you to bring this up againI know you're emotional about itbut does it hurt you to talk about this? I mean, not everybody would do this. I mean, we're talking about from kindergarten kids up to 10-, 11-, 12-years old. Chaos ensued. Mark Junge: Are you one of the most experienced people in the area? He had tried this deviceand they were designed tothat it would be a delayed explosion. Katie Walker tells the story of what she saw that day, and why it's important to have pictures of your ancestors. "I never said anything to anyone until we were looking through some family albums with my grandma when I was 11 or 12," Jennie said. I think he went in the Marine Corps because of me and served 25 years and retired. Rich Haskell: Approximately an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes. There are several great resources out there. Then, shortly after 1 PM, mother, father, and daughter abandoned the van and walked through the schools front doors. The photo of Rich Haskell is by Wyoming State Archives. Accessed May 28, 2013 at. Rich Haskell: Sure. Audio/Video Recording. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. After a stand-off lasting two and a half hours, the gasoline bomb the couple had brought into the school went off prematurely, badly burning Doris Young while David Young was out of the room. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. I don't know. I did see the lighting had changed in the room, and it was right in the same timeline as everyone else's witness. Young was a former Cokeville town marshal who had been living in Arizona for several years. No, not at all. Sep 29, 2015. Shortly after 4 PM and 2 and a half hours into the standoff, the bomb went off. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. Carbon County School District No. seal island shark attack sinking boat; rancho cucamonga low income housing Have you had anything like this, anything close to this happen? If you are interested in seeing the film, theaters are listed here. They learned to trust in their God, the kids were healed for the most part, and they value life more now. Rich Haskell: Well, as we were talking before we started recording, because of my knowledge with the explosives and with the law enforcement and everything else, I've had many opportunitiesbecause of the explosivesI've been with Vice President Cheney when he was here in Wyoming up in Pinedale. Chalkboards andwhat do they call those?whiteboards, I think they are, along the walls. Sue Castaneda: Carla said that some people were mad that we were there. As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. [easy-social-share buttons=facebook,twitter,google,pinterest,print,mail counters=0 style=icon message=yes]. It's a part of my life, one that I don't frequently revisit, but impossible not to reflect on from time to time. And you could see that she had been burning by just looking at her out on the front lawn. Thank you for sharing your witness that God is real and that He knows about tiny wounds in mortal souls that need a balm of healing. Mark Junge: And that's the lesson we learn. But I walked up to the window and looked inside the window and didn't hardly see anything out of the ordinary except it was all black inside. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. Cokeville Children Held Hostage by Bomber., Cokeville Elementary School Bombing: 25-Years Later. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Fagg, Ellen. the cokeville miracle debunked. Even lead investigator Ron Hartleys son pointed to an image of his grandmother as the angel whod protected him in the fire. Christensen loves a good story. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. I had the chance to watch the pre-screening of the film and it was very emotional. They messed with the kids and that brought a whole communityin fact, it brought the whole western half of the state all together. The town has worked to be as respectful as possible to the multitude of experiences that day. This is actually the first time I have heard of this. TC, I think, saw it the same way. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. The preservation of 154 lives; the wires on the bomb being cut clean to cripple the blast; the windows being open for ventilation carried the smoke out; the shrapnel and bullets exploding from the bomb not touching or injuring a single person; the bomb blasting upwards instead of outwards; the right people being in the right place at the right time to provide Immediate help after the bomb exploded and students being prepared because of an increase of fire drills in the preceding weeks. David Youngs journals and writings reveal that he was a troubled man who spent many years grappling with deep philosophical questionsabout mans existence, the afterlife and spirituality. You could walk across the street and get run over as far as that's concerned, but I don't know if my wife has any more gray hairs because I've chosen this profession. Rich Haskell: Yes, I did. Rich Haskell: Oh my goodness! Of course, I can imagine the noise that it made. But shortly after entering the school, Princess decided to rebel. Rich Haskell: Yes. I absolutely have. It would have killed them. You know, the kids have forgot about it, let's let 'em move on. Mark Junge: Well, you've been blessed in a lot of ways. In the movie, it shows the tension building towards the prayer and then shortly after the bomb went off. There are some survivors that couldn't believe how accurate much of it was. The film was based on the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis in 1986 and the book The Cokeville Miracle: When Angels Intervene by Hartt Wixom and Judene Wixom. The heat of the summer day made the crowded room feel even smaller, and fumes from the gasoline bomb made everyone sick. Well, after interviewing some of the people, what had happened, the bombDavid Young had set the bomb to have what they call a dead-man switch. Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? Cokeville Trying to Rebuild A Normal and Secure Life.. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, EMT Glenna Walker, Mother of Three Young Children, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Public Works Director and Fireman Kevin Walker, Father of Three Young Children, on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Second grade teacher Carol Petersen on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Rachel Walker Hollibaugh on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Jamie Buckley King on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade teacher Kliss Sparks on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade student LeaKae Roberts on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. As time progressed, however, a different story emerged in this highly religious and largely Mormon community. In most cases I have deleted redundant ands, ers, uhs, buts, false starts, etc. That's a true line in the movie. Can you describe this? On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a married couple with a bomb. Mark Junge: They weren't big enough, in a way. One thing to mention is that the tension in real life seemed much more present at first, and then once prayers were said the mood really lifted. It's about the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis, which occurred on May 16th, 1986, in Cokeville, Wyoming, where the former town marshal, David Young, and his wife, Doris Young, took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School. We didn't know if the blasting caps were in therejust exactly what was in there. Kameron Wixom, son of Hartt and Judene Wixom, writes a childlike faith saved us. In his contribution to the Witness to Miracles book, Kameron writes: I didnt have to see angels, hear them, or even think that their presence might be required that day. At the same time, adults and children alike reported feeling embraced by a warm blanket while waiting in the classroom. These are designed to just spread out the particles all over the air. Rich Haskell: No, it's not. I saw an early screening of the film and absolutely loved it. Rich Haskell: Well, I did learn later that the kids saw the angels. The knowledge that God lives, and is still a God of miracles in this modern day has molded much of my thinking.". It was not a teacher, but her ancestor. When David emerged, he shot his nearly-dead wife before shooting wildly into the surrounding smoke. So we took the tiles off and went up into the ceiling and crawled up into the upper space up there and found a .45 slug up embedded into the iron girders up in the wall, and thought, okay, where did that come from? It sounds like surefire fodder for a faith-based film, which is exactly what "The Cokeville Miracle" is. He did deliver our salvation that day. You can see what's happening in the world today. If I cant get answers I'll probably leave the church. "If this story is going to continue to be told, we want that to be the message of hope. . Rich Haskell: No. He instructed Doris and Princess, by now a young adult, to handcuff them inside his van. Number one, that's where he worked. I have triggers and I still struggle sometimes, though I will not let that day define who I become. The Cokeville Miracle. I want to really live and make a positive difference in the lives of others.". Mark Junge: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? For more information about our sponsors and the people behind WyoHistory.org, visit our About Us page: Hostage crisis at the elementary school in Cokeville, Wyo. I contacted the dispatch up in Kemmerer to get firsthand information as to having second- and third-hand information and they informed me that the school indeed had been taken hostage. Why are the spouses of Church leaders given a more Field Trip: An Organ Recital of Bach at BYU-Jerusalem, Question for members who grew up pre 2000. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. The tuna fish cans with the two floury would be spread out in the air likehave you ever seen a grain elevator explosion? He used to work in Cokeville. During his six months in that position, he met and married local waitress and singer Doris Waters. I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. Now you've got problems. Mark Junge: Do you think you were cut out to do this job? You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." I was a little bit nervous, of course. Survivors shared their stories with each other, investigators, family members, and hospital personnel. TC (the director) also worked incredibly hard to make this a story that can be widely appreciated by members of all faiths. The bombing of Cokeville Elementary shook the small community to its core and yet vibrated with the power of their Mormon faith. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. They increasingly spoke about their memories in public with professional psychologists, church officials and community counselors. We had people from ATFAlcohol, Tobacco and Firearmsand there was another bomb technician that came up from Evanstonhe was studying to be a bomb technicianand we all looked at that and said, "That wire's been cut." T.C. Rich Haskell: No, I don't think it exited. The windows had been knocked outhad been blown out. But it still sent flames all over in the room and you can see where all the flames were in that room. Focusing on the positive, rather than the negative helped immensely. And, then, shortly after 4 p.m., the bomb exploded. Soon enough, though, he was dismissed from the position after a 6-month probationary period. Thus, when David and Doris Young entered the towns only elementary school with an arsenal of weapons and a gasoline bomb in a grocery cart, no one saw it coming. They did a good job telling this story. Mark Junge: Do you think you've taken more joy out of life because of it? Young, on the other hand, suddenly retreated into the bathroom and shot himself dead. Sue Castaneda: Did you look at (unintelligible). We know for a fact that he had tried that device because he did it in Arizona and totally destroyed a school bus. Mark Junge: Oh, really! ", "I have learned that each healing journey is different and that I can't heal for someone else or take their pain as they walk their own individual healing journey," Katie observes. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, when David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. You can check out [CokevilleMiracle.com] (http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html). There were plenty who opposed this from Cokeville, not a majority, maybe, but they were vocal and raw with feelings. Rich Haskell: And fourteen and a half great-grandchildren. I remember watching that when I was a younger kid, and when they were interviewing the witnesses, I remember several of them referencing "Heavenly Father " instead of "God," and I knew immediately they were LDS. You have to think about what you're doing right at that particular time so you can stay focused on what you have to deal with. I had just cracked a little joke with a toy tank of legos as I drove it "across the death line" or the masking tape square on the floor. "I learned that His tender mercies are everywhere--you just have to look for them," she said. The experience was especially intense for those who had prayed. I believe that our loved ones love us and are aware of us.". I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. On May 16th, 1986, in the small town of Cokeville, Wyoming, David and Doris Young entered the local elementary school with a bomb and held the entire school hostage in one room. As a result, the blast, which should have leveled the entire wing, had gone straight up and so minimized human harm. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. Rich Haskell: There was a reason I was there for some reason. I know that for a fact! I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. How has that experience shaped your life? Cokeville Bombing. Undated scrapbook. His fever broke within minutes of getting it off his chest. --- If you'd like to make a per episode donat For me, the choice to believe in God, seek His hand and learn from the experience seemed the obvious choice. The detonation didn't do it, it was cut. it is VERY LDS, and yet there are at least 3 other churches in town: Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist (and sometimes a non-denominational church). He was so open to their input, and feelings. One of 'em was in Cokeville and one was in the bus that he did the experiment with. Rich Haskell: I think it could be a spiritual experience that I have with church, or being around the kids, I don't know. George Moore helps his son on the boy's first day back at school, the week after the bombing. Flames filled the room, with Doris on fire and several children burnt by the bomb. Mark Junge: What were they designed to do? Director T.C. It became a story of a miracle rather than a tragedy. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Jennie Sorensen Johnson reported a teacher helping her flee the burning classroom, only to recognize the figure much later in life as her long-dead great-aunt. . David set himself near the center of the room with the grocery cart bomb nearby, as Doris went from room to room rounding up people. It killed her instantly. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this?
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