Where were you 33 years ago today?

[LV Naturist]

I was at Goodfellow AFB attending the Electronic Security Commands NCO Academy, when the Academy's Commandant interrupted the class to let us know what had happened. In the end, we dedicated our graduating class in their honor. Instead of hanging a class picture in the hallway, we hung a picture of the Challenger Crew and we all signed the photo. Not sure if that photo is still hanging there or not.

John

[livinthelife]

I was at work. Walking out to my location, we were passing by the security office and one of the people there waved us in. They had the news on the TV there.

[backtrack2015]

I was at home feeling sick (instead of at elementary school). I was watching TV downstairs when the news coverage started. It's one of my clearer memories from that age.

[Country Campers]

I was in Science class I think and we watched on live tv, lots of chatter watching lift off and then all was quiet. This lasted the rest of the week.

Brian

[jkwilson]

At work. Had been crazy busy and I didn't get to go to lunch when everybody else did. I was the only one in the break room when the news came on. I can still remember staring at the screen trying to process what had happened and then going back into the lab and telling people.

[offtohavasu]

2nd grade. They principal made an announcement over the P.A. when it occurred.

[Big Mike]

I was home from 8th grade with a cast from my right toes to my hip. Broken leg in 5 places. I was watching live...I had a hard time believing my eyes and the reporters. Ironically, my wife was home the same day with a broken ankle, watching live. We did not meet until 1995.

[howson]

I was in Paramus, New Jersey attending a factory maintenance class for a Sharp copier (pre-USAF). An instructor walked in and told us to stop what we were doing and go to the break room to watch the news. It hit me especially hard because I had (and still have) fond memories of the space program. When I was a child my step-father was stationed at Patrick AFB which is just south of Cape Canaveral. I witnessed every Apollo launch, was at a roll out, and even got a close-up look at a lunar lander (a real one). Losing Challenger (and then Columbia) was gut-wrenching.

The hardest part to comprehend related to the disaster is the engineers knew launching Challenger was too great a risk, but management went forward anyway. Had to "keep the schedule". I'm still mad.

[Jerryr]

Looking out my office window and saw it live. I didn’t realize what had happened until my coworker, who had worked with missiles in the USAF said, oh crap it just blew up. That image will be burnt into my brain forever.

[The Buergers]

8th Grade English. The teacher brought in a TV and we watched the post-disaster coverage. Society still had empathy in those days.