And I didn't know about the angel thing comin' to the kids until many days later. No, we can't do this. [5] The wooden piece was tied to Doris' wrist by a string. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. Boston columnist: 'This was an attack on family' - Today And then what? Mark Junge: With bombs? Well, with the window being open, with the ceiling tiles being able to lift up and down, I think that absorbed a lot of the explosion of the gasoline bottle. Press J to jump to the feed. Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. It's made me, I think, more open-minded to things and don't take so much for granted anymore. On May 16, 1986, a man and his wife with a bomb took . Thank you for doing this! Rich Haskell: I don't know the birthdates but I know the names. She lifted her hand up to rub her forehead and when she did that pulled the pin out and detonated the bomb. Mark Junge: Today is the 23rd of September, 2010. At that time all of the different agencies was pretty much on the same radio frequency and I was stayin' in touch with them, lettin' them know what my location was and they were in turn telling me what was taking place. Go to their hands and knees and crawl out. 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. David was a diabetic. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. How did you determine how everything looked when this went up in smoke itself. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. Rich Haskell: Uh, I can understand that. Rich Haskell: Yeah, there was some people ready to just shoot him right where he was sitting. I'm portrayed as the little red haired kid with glasses that asks about the AK-47. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News. No need to troll. The miraculous events that followed have changed many people foreverespecially survivor Amy Bagaso Williams. Edit: Thank you so much for your questions! When I looked up to see if David had heard me (which he had, and scowled down at me) I noticed that the florescent white light overhead was not white, but a yellow hazy light. Davids friends did not know that the Biggie was a plan to take over Cokeville Elementary School, hold each of the children hostage for $2 million dollars apiece and then detonate the bomb, transporting the money and children to his Brave New World, where he would be God. Rich Haskell: Well, I did learn later that the kids saw the angels. She was a divorce who earned money working as a waitress and singer in a local bar. He demanded a ransom of two million dollars per hostage ($308 million, $720 million adjusted for inflation), and an audience with President Ronald Reagan. And knew what they could do? Cook, the school's secretary and the first person taken hostage, could tell Young's threats were serious. One of the miracles that day was that not a single person was lost. While David and Doris Young were not involved in an organized religion, both were deeply spiritual. Mark Junge: Which means you had to be doing over a hundred miles an hour! Located in Lincoln County and nestled between the towns of Star Valley and Kemmerer on the Wyoming-Idaho border, Cokeville, many residents believed, was a safe place to rear children. They had written the manuscript, ready for publication, when the Walkers contacted them as family friends and said you may want to come ask our daughters some questions. School Bombing Survivor Converted after Priesthood Blessing She is one of the survivors whose story has become a part of The Cokeville Miracle. Teachers were confused and baffled by Young's nonsensical, strange writing. I mean, what it was supposed to do? Rich Haskell: Yeah, I think I did. Accessed May 28, 2013 at. Mark Junge: EOD. He just said just go do it. The windows had been knocked outhad been blown out. Several other survivors were there. At least 74 people, most of them children, suffered second-degree burns when the bomb went off at about 4 P.M. at the Cokeville Elementary School. the children began describing things more specifically and that is when the mom was prompted to find the photograph of their grandmother. It'sI'm still doing that kind of thing because whenever they hold General Conference in Salt Lake City I go to Salt Lake City to be part of the bomb team for the church while they have General Conference. The gasoline bottle was leaking. Just like with a pair of pliers, pair of snips. It was a great movie, very well directed and acted. The circuit was powered by a 9-volt lantern battery. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Rich Haskell: No. Mark Junge: That's a mighty powerful gun! Couple Take Over School But Die After Bomb Blast I contacted my sheriff, and that was Jim Stark at the time, and he said, "Definitely! Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. As time progressed, however, a different story emerged in this highly religious and largely Mormon community. He had just big rings of perspiration. Sue Castaneda: Did you look at (unintelligible). Debbie Sparks and Steven Moore, both EMTs, discuss on May 9 the elementary school bombing. David Young had initially planned to involve longtime friends Gerald Deppe and Doyle Mendenhall, who had invested money with him in a get-rich-quick scheme that he had called "The Biggie. It killed her instantly. I didn't touch the body at all. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, http://news.google.com/newspapers/p/deseret_news?id=nz1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4165,3587249&dq=cokeville+bombing&hl=en, http://archive.org/details/SurvivorIsMyName-VoicesOfTheCokevilleElementarySchoolBombing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udNB_xdPiYE, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mz1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6656,2193766&dq=cokeville+trying+to+rebuild&hl=en, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oD1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&dq=cokeville&pg=7027%2C3851642, http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/MultiMedia/Display.aspx?ID=86&icon=1, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19870529&id=-AogAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c2UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1067,6238243, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19870521&id=w4sfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zH4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4596,6209063, https://www.deseret.com/2006/5/15/19953524/cokeville-recollects-miracle-of-1986, http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_18072820, http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article%E2%80%943077bf4a-a45e-5dad-ae3a-a99aa8fcf3aa.html, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19960515&id=Ke5LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fuwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5227,9406392, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19940404&id=GoQwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iuwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2778,1992787, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372484/Cokeville-miracle-marking-25-years.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe_ZX4Qbsi4, 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, Public Works Director and Fireman Kevin Walker, Father 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, Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell 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, Law and Order in Cokeville: A Woman Mayor and Prohibition, 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, A Projectile Killed Doris Young, Not Bomb Blast, Police in Cokeville Say., Castaneda, Sue and Mark Junge. Rich Haskell: I don't know. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Sept. 21, 2010. I don't know. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Rich Haskell: Yeah. The town has worked to be as respectful as possible to the multitude of experiences that day. Rich Haskell: I think it could be a spiritual experience that I have with church, or being around the kids, I don't know. She was totally burned. I certainly enjoy my grandkids a lot more. . Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." In what many have since labeled a miracle, all of the 154 children and educators held hostage for three hours at their Cokeville, Wyoming, school lived, though many were injured. AN EXPLOSION of vapors, resultLing from a combination of circumstances at the Kearney, N. J., plant of the Koppers Coke Company, on May 17, 1948, resulted in the death of ten men and started a . I have given that some thought. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. I received a telephone call from my dispatcher informing me that an incident had taken place up in Cokeville and they were requesting me to drive to Cokeville for assistance. It was cut. For instance, The Cokeville Miracle Foundations 2005 book Witness to Miracles: Remembering the Cokeville Elementary School Bombing and the Wyoming State Archives oral history project called Survivor is My Name both focused on the reconstructing of this narrative as a miracle instead of a tragedy. Only the man and his wife, who accidentally detonated the bomb, died that day in 1986. Rich Haskell: Yep. What is cokeville miracle about? Explained by Sharing Culture And the bathroom was off to the side of it because it was the kindergarten class. Mark Junge: And when you went into the classroom you saw holes in the walls? Don't go past this square. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young entered Cokeville Elementary School with a gasoline bomb, a variety of rifles and handguns, David's philosophical writings and demands for $300 million Is that morbid thinking on my part? And if I had been a little less of a jokester I may have seen something in that strange light. Read more Whether or not you believe in God or miracles, show some respect. Two of the three blasting caps on the bomb failed to detonate; the wires to each tuna can had been reportedly cut. Mark Junge: Well, you've been blessed in a lot of ways. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. Were you portrayed in the movie at all? Mark Junge: And that's the lesson we learn. This wasn't a pipe bomb. I mean, we're talking about from kindergarten kids up to 10-, 11-, 12-years old. Just before implementing the Biggie, David Young had also sent a copy of the document to President Ronald Reagan, the president of Chadron State College and numerous media outlets. 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. Rich Haskell: Approximately an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes. It is a touchy topic for us, and could come across the wrong way. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. Cokeville Elementary School Bombing | WyoHistory.org I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. over there. Hi MadreDeUnMono! The children and adults escaped after the bomb exploded. He still needed to tell it to his parents though, and that's basically what you see in the movie. They forget about what happened in Cokeville with a lot more people and the potential of what was there. David, who dared not risk their reporting him to the authorities, responded by holding them at gunpoint. Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. I was frightened and felt that we needed to do something to try to calm down or to be careful, because he was so agitated. David had the makeshift bomb attached to his body and housed inside a grocery cart, while Doris and Princess carried an arsenal of rifles, handguns and ammunition, as well as the Zero Equals Infinity handouts. There are several great resources out there. 10 Years Later, Cokeville Just Says: Let Us Be It's just something that you just have to stay on top of. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. You see the bag ladies pullin' them around behind them when they go to the store and they can put their groceries in or whatever else. Now, 28 years later, Conger and more than a dozen other survivors are reliving . I did not have to imagine how God would move that day when I said my little prayer just hours before, I simply knew he would. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. So if it can happen there it can happen anywhere in the United States. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this? [5] The leaking gasoline's fumes prompted teachers to open the classroom windows, unknowingly creating vents for the impending explosion. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a couple with a bomb. I walked into the bathroom and there was the suspect that had started this whole mess, layin' there on the floor with ahe had a pistol in his hand and you could tell he had shot himself in the head. Did you see anything? The basket, the shelves. I know that for a fact! Rich Haskell: Well, run fordo another term as sheriff and then retire, and my wife and I are going to doshe loves genealogy. The Chicago Tylenol Murders of 1982 - Kottke.org The Hilton Garden Suites in Laramie, Wyo. Maybe writing that up 2 years ago when this came along was more healing for me than for him, but I gave it all to him! They were sitting out across the fence with scopes on their rifles just ready to shoot until the sheriff went out and said, "No. Then he went to the restroom, which was attached to the classroom. That dead-man switch is a piece of string that goes around your wrist and it's hooked into a clothespin, the other end of it. When you say what cut the wire? Parentheses ( ) are used for incidental non-verbal sounds, like laughter. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. I know it is real. For me, what has impressed me about the film is not necessarily the story of Angels (which are remarkable), but that the majority of the 154 hostages chose to see God's hand in their lives that day. In the West? David and Doris Young took 167 hostages (150 children, 17 adults and one unlucky UPS driver) at the elementary school. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Learn from Cokeville's miracle of '86 - The Spectrum Because of the experience and the different classes that I've attended, I know what bombs do to people, to buildings and to all kinds of structures. Mark Junge: What's been your experiences since then? 10 Years Later, Cokeville Just Says: Let Us Be., Pierce, Scott D. Save the Children is Shallow, Exploitative: Focus is on Wacko Bomber Instead of 167 Cokeville Students and Teachers., Troone, Trent. He came out of the bathroom, is what we figured. This sub is dedicated to faithful discourse on church topics. But I know that, well, I'll just be quite frank. Of what you would picture an angel, with the wings and, Mark Junge: Well, if I'm a skeptic, I could say, "Well, that's just the way the flames shot up.". I do think the key is talking about it often and early. I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. Certified Bomb Technician. Mark Junge: Yeah, my brother-in-law worked in the Navy as a chief petty officer and he worked with what they called EOD. First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." Cokeville survivors relive school bombing for film 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? Doris accidently triggered the bomb by motioning to her hostages with her arms. On May 16, 1986, . What had happenedI can't explain it. Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. In 1986 , 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. 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. Lenita's father Rocky was a fifth grade teacher at Cokeville Elementary School at the time of the bombing, Lenita was a seventh grader. David, Doris and Princess proceeded to the elementary school and entered the building shortly after 1 p.m. that Friday. Associated Press. There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. "We could tell that he was becoming very nervous.