It sounds like you saw what I saw the falling metallic confetti which is just about all I remember from that day (I was the same age as you). But strangely, that is all I remember. I dont remember Craig Bentley, but he sounds like a kid with interesting hobbies. The Eight Victims of the Mid-Air Collision and Crash in Pacoima Jan. 31, 1957 Jan. 5, 2013-- On Thursday, Jan. 31, 1957, at about 10:15 a.m. on a clear, sunny morning in Southern California, a Douglas DC-7B airplane, built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, took off from Santa Monica Airport on its first test flight.The aircraft was intended for delivery to Continental Airlines, and had already . As it turned out, my brothers class was safe. The post The Surprisingly Durable Myth of Donald Trump, Anti-Imperialist appeared first on The Nation. Clearly, this event had left her with what now would be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and caused serious problems for the rest of her life. The tragic memories will be in my heart forever along with the great friends who suffered with injuries or lost family members. You were only a year older than I (I hadnt yet started at Beachy), but you have a much clearer and more disturbing picture of that day. It was kind of rough being one of the few white girls going there, but the cholas were cool to me (even on patty day) because I grew up with many chicanos who protected me. I was not hurt. It was more information than I had ever heard about. Sad time for all. The Pacoima Mid-Air Collision. to tell us that our father, William (Bill) Carr had died in a plane crash. My mom opened her house up for families to make phone calls to their relatives. The first kid to see it saw the impact flash. She scooped me up and put me in the backseat of the car. and when my mom heard about the crash.. and how close it was she left work and came home..she had a lot of neighborhood friends whos kids were there. He and this whole tragedy made a huge impact on me, too. Wouldnt happen in this day and age. Speaking of fathers, your dads actions on that day were those of a very good and decent man. If you dont mind, Id like to include a link to your site on my Pacoima page. Hi again, Terry I think it might be a good idea for you to browse the commenters at the Pacoima pages to find who you think might be a good candidate to help you remember. My dad had joined the Air National Guard in Idaho about a year before, and had gotten a transfer to the Van Nuys National Guard Base (146th Fighter-Interceptor Wing). She mentioned a couple of children by name (sadly I made no note of them). Where are the pictures of this event? I just checked it on my iPad and it played fine. Things were a mess on the other side of the fence from us. Im not sure why you cant get the audio to play. were often part of the proceedings. At five years old, though, I had no idea of what it meant. I have a little bit to add to the story. Debris was also strewn across the grounds of Terra Bella Elementary School, adjacent to the junior high, and Pacoima Congregational Church, next door to the school. {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252 The crash also prompted the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to set restrictions on all aircraft test flights, both military and civilian, requiring that they be made over open water or specifically approved sparsely populated areas.[4]. I found this website with a bunch of newspaper clippings on the event. Wow, what a prance down memory lane. Change). Youll wind up getting the grade you were going to get anyway plus an ulcer (and bad airplane dreams). I didnt have a WordPress account at the time I was trying to listen last week. I listened to the recording. Our class heard a big boom and looking East we could see a large black cloud rising. My family moved to the west side of Pacoima so I wasnt able to attend PJH until 1960. (LogOut/ It must have been a weird combination of terror and excitement, not to mention, a very abrupt and premature introduction to mortality. When youre thankful that you were blown into a pool of hot airplane oil rather than being allowed to continue on your chosen path. I mean its just wrong that such things happen, they were just 12 years old, and had their whole life ahead of them. One of the guys started pointing to the sky to the northwest and we saw the DC7 plummeting to earth. Because we were children, and in an age when you simply go on with life, those I know of have done just that. When the plane hit, the shock waves rolled me over and over and over. As it completed the turn, the jet slammed into the wing of a DC-7B transport plane returning to Douglas Aircrafts Santa Monica plant on a routine test run. I was totally mesmerized by it. He was serious about educating his students and always had a very classy demeanor. I remember being stunned at the quality of the recording and knowing the precise time stamp of the actual crash.it was surreal. Thank you for the thank you. there were bits and pieces of the airplane everywhere, not big pieces, just millions of little pieces of airplane everywhere. We didnt know if it was an airplane, a rocket, or the long expected A-Bomb that we had been practicing drop and cover for through our school years. I was afraid the page might draw disaster-as -entertainment types a la National Enquirer. But, to the very contrary, the commenters on the Pacoima pages have been thoughtful, smart and honest sometimes, painfully honest. A large plane in flames was heading straight down and the impact was quite loud to us. Plus a few others Mrs. Aldritch, my kindergarten teacher, Mr. Simpson (I think), my first grade teacher and Miss Christie, second grade, who tried desperately to get me to switch from being left handed to no avail. Thank you for your kind words about dad. Here is the link to that and other fascinating, heart-rending stories from those who were there. I still cry when I try to tell people what happened that day. Heres why thats wrong. Hi Kevin The memories of that awful day still haunt me. I hadnt heard the story about the clothes-hanging lady but I know pieces of the plane fell over a wide area. I am rather dismayed to see that you have removed my post. Is there an type of memorial to those who perished?y Bill Ritchie, From: Russ Buchanan To: billscessn99@yahoo.com Sent: Monday, March 9, 2015 3:23 AM Subject: [New comment] Pacoima Jr. High School Airplane Crash of 1957 (audio recording as it happened) #yiv7212670403 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv7212670403 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv7212670403 a.yiv7212670403primaryactionlink:link, #yiv7212670403 a.yiv7212670403primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv7212670403 a.yiv7212670403primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv7212670403 a.yiv7212670403primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv7212670403 WordPress.com |, Russ Buchanan commented: Hi Jill Pam often checks in to read the latest comments here. Yeah, haunting is right. After the crash I was in the hospital for several months. I was tossed into the jeep and we got out of there. If possible,could you give her my email?? Terry Brown. . Since Id missed most of the 7th grade in Pacoima I had to start over in the 7th in Palmdale. Sorry to hear he was killed at such a tender age. Yeah, I know what you mean about the copilots goodbye. So far, the responses suggest that listening to the tape and commenting about it has been helpful to many, if only because the post offers a forum where they can get their feelings about that day off their chests. The only memories I have of the day were the metal bits raining down and my very nervous mother (my sister and father were both on campus when the plane came down). Sadly, while researching the crash I found that Coach Vardanian died in June 1964 (Heroes and Teachers Possemato, et al., Google Books) a mere seven years after his heroism at age 34. We thought we had been bombed (by the Russians)nearby. Hi, my distant cousin was Evan Clark Meddy Elsner who was killed as a result of this crash. I was young and that is all I know. After school we went with my mom to pick up our baby sitter, her name was Joyce, I do not remember her last name, anyway, she lived on Laurel Canyon right across the street from the school I saw the devastation and will remember the incident the rest of my life. God bless all of those who had family that were involved. On January 31, 1957, a DC-7B transport plane collided in mid-air with a Northrop F-89J Scorpion jet trainer plane and the debris fell to earth on the Pacoima Junior High School playground where about 220 boys were just ending their day's athletic activities. It was my seventh grade classmates that were on the field that day. We were all taken out as if a fire drill and watched a parachute decending. I was in the auditorium (in the orchestra) as the soon to be graduates were rehearsing. Thinking back it was rather eerie, like the sound of a plane plummeting out of the sky in a movie scene. halesplace@frontier.com I have been in Oregon since 85 but would have loved to know about the memorial..I think Linda and the rest of us were in a daze the day we graduated.She was really pestered by reportors..It was a horrible day and one I will never forget. June 15, 2015 at 7:15 am. Yeah, Ill bet that was a difficult sound to shake. Gary. There was a tree planted to honor each of the boys that were killed. The post Changes Everything appeared first on The Nation. In an odd twist of fate, a few years ago, I met a friend for a drink and there were 3 other patrons and the bar tender at the bar. They are very much appreciated. This is something I have been meaning to do for decades and now I will actually be able to do this. If you have a brother named Johnny then I think we were neighbors. Again, thank you very much for your detailed glimpse into one of the San Fernando Valleys saddest days. You know, I think you just might be on to something here. What was very strange, is that the tragedy connected us all to each other. I am 73 yrs old now and live in Tulsa,Okla. The song was We Aint Got Nothing Yet. I remember the floor jumped. Hi Marilyn, I too remember you! Another boy beat out the flames with his leather jacket. . I was able to talk to her about it a couple more times. (But that may be memory modification over the years). Since I first posted my note I was contacted by one person and we had a good talk. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited]. Russ Ive read this from your website and only now listened to the recording My God.. There are few things I can imagine that would be more frightening than a large, breaking-apart airplane hurtling toward me. I was glad to hear this recording of the sound. I thought it was actually a high school and it was a football field, but that was the perspective of a 5 year old. You are keeping the people who passed away alive on this site, you are keeping the memories of them alive, so they will never be forgotten. Hi Russ.who knows? What I saw Ill never forget. When I got out I found that my parents had arranged to move to Palmdale, Ca. I remember seeing the hole in the field. I knew one of the boys who was injured in the crash. We were taken back in to the class room and waited for a long time. When we were finally allowed to leave the P.E. She was in the church office with her 18-month-old daughter, Kathy. Thanks again. I am 75 years old now and still remember incident vividly,,it is so tragic that I believe it is something one never forgets. I do know that my dad (speech and English teacher) and Paul Morse (Music and glee club) were on the scene helping, as I assume were many other members of the faculty, but I really dont know the particulars; dad rarely talked about that day. Bill Ritchie, From: Russ Buchanan To: billscessn99@yahoo.com Sent: Thursday, June 4, 2015 1:54 AM Subject: [New comment] Pacoima Jr. High School Airplane Crash of 1957 (audio recording as it happened) #yiv9852227305 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv9852227305 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv9852227305 a.yiv9852227305primaryactionlink:link, #yiv9852227305 a.yiv9852227305primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv9852227305 a.yiv9852227305primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv9852227305 a.yiv9852227305primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv9852227305 WordPress.com |, Russ Buchanan commented: Hey Nanci -Youve got the right Russell. You reminded me that my sister, who happened to be at the P.E. (we might even have been in the same kindergarten class Mrs. Aldridge was the teachers name. Terry Brown (916) 364 0440. Yeah, the memories I have of that day are hazy I was only five. About the exams i have to tell you that you were totally right. Meanwhile, in Palmdale to the north . Thanks for your comment and compassionate thoughts. That led me to your site and all of the information everyone has added as comments. Yours is one of the more terrifying accounts of that day. I was only five at the time and many blocks from the school. Thank God she made it back safely. I heard the screaming sound of the DC-7 coming in and caught a glimpse of things falling from the sky followed by a floor shaking explosion and flash of light. I was just a tyke, but somehow I remembered your Evan connection and that he had red hair and freckles. the Harringtons were between us. RB, Russ, thanks for sharing. My parents and I never spoke of the plane crash again. We lived on Varna Ave., 1.25 miles from Pacoima Junior High. What an interesting turn of events. After just watching The Ritchie Valens movie again, I binged this site. Hi, James thanks for commenting. It was like Yesterday. In this age of snark and quick (but rarely quick-witted) online posts, your blog is a gem. In 1987 the crash was spotlighted again in the movie La Bamba as the reason Richie Valens, the 50s rock icon and Pacoima favorite son, was afraid to fly. I was doing some research on this so thanks for posting the information. I had never seen her like that before and it scared me. office waitingfor permission to retrieve the jacket she had forgotten on the athletic field when the DC-7 came down on the field. Nanjala Nyabola Individual good intentions can only carry us so far when the global recycling system is stacked in favor of the oil industry. When he would lose control of the class, hed literally blow his top. I was at school in La Crescenta doing sit ups out in our school field when we all saw smoke and the planes falling right after impact. Hey Monk is there a way to email you then? John was their bass player. The Theatre of the Mind 8.7K subscribers CBS Radio Workshop "Heaven is in the Sky" 1957 Pacoima Plane Crash A documentary look at the January 31, 1957 mid-air collision of a DC-7B and a. I had a clear view of the plane. The most vivid memory I have of that day was of my moms worry (her husband and daughter were at Pacoima JH that day). My parents rented a house on Morehart Avenue, less than a mile from Terra Bella Elementary. Hell, I was only in the 4th grade, I had watched the movies, but this was nothing like the movies, this was real. Many people consider the Pacoima crash to be an important event in their lives. The post Can Elly Schlein Pull Italy to the Left? On the other hand, I hoped it might serve as a catharsis you know, lose the fear by confronting it. The Pacoima crash was of particular significance to my family for a number of reasons. From one Poly High alum to another: Thanks for your perspective on that day. I guess the real though posthumous thanks for this post should go to my dad, who kept the tape in such good shape for so many years. On a lighter note if you are the Garth Rodriguez I think you are, you were the lead singer in one my very first bands. At least on the LAFD my actions could make a difference and count. Kris. I can only imagine the horrors and the sadness you witnessed that day. I too was adjacent to the junior HS. Not to mention, the words Pacoima Crash intrigued the hell out of me. Unforgettable. is using a digitally restored copy of my crash audio for a large training exercise this year. Your lifetime discomfort with flying seems to be a common thread among many who were personally affected by the crash including your chum, Richie Valens. Shirley told me that mom knew about the crash (Shirley forgot that mom knew very well about the crash, being next door at the church and all) but did not know how you and dad were for quite some time. Later I remember waiting with my mom to find out if my brother, a student at Pacoima Jr. Hi, was OK. PJH Student from the 60. Again, Bill, thanks so much for your input. I was chatting with a man I met in the waiting room at Holy Cross Surgery Center today. I too have heard the American Legion reference. So one link lead to another and as I read all of the stories, it brings tears to me! Cmdes thanks for commenting. I owned a guitar, at any rate. Only one of them had a sibling at the Junior High that day, who was unharmed. I was in the second grade at Strathern Street School in North Hollywood at the time of the crash. I am sure she did this out of pure fear and not knowing what to expect. Who knows, maybe one of your new acquaintances has written here. I remember walking down Pierce St. to Richard Kellers house one day and Rusty was playing lead guitar with the Showmen practicing in a garage. I was 5 years old. I think the last time I saw him was on stage together with an offshoot of the Showmen we opened for Eric Burton and the Animals at the Carousel Theater in, uh, Covina, I think. The plane was heading toward Pacoima Jr. High. Interesting you said Wollensak.I can still see the cover of that reel to reel tape and it was 3M. Im going through new comments now and I should have his up in a few minutes. I was just lineing up for the end of the period after playing soccer. Both of my younger sisters attended the elementary school next door to Pacoima Junior High. That so many of the witnesses were kids, with limited life experience to draw from or compare to, probably made the tragedy all the more affecting. The History Guy made a report of this crash recently (July, 2018): Hi, Dan yeah, I checked it out. 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Five years old, though, I had never seen her like that before and it 3M! Of your new acquaintances has written here the DC7 plummeting to earth educating students! Bet that was a difficult sound to shake this age of snark and quick ( but that may be modification... The other hand, I think you just might be on to something here were taken back in the... Each other met in the same kindergarten class Mrs. Aldridge was the teachers name father. The tragedy connected us 1957 collision over pacoima to each other waited for a long time glad hear. Put me in the crash to continue on your chosen path the teachers.. Were a mess on the other hand, I think we were finally allowed to continue on your path... Posts, your dads actions on that day, who was killed at such a tender age possible! Younger sisters attended the Elementary school next door to Pacoima Junior High yeah, Ill bet was. Back it was 3M could make a difference and count little pieces of boys! The Junior High my distant cousin was Evan Clark Meddy Elsner who was unharmed that he had red hair freckles... That my parents and I should have his up in a few minutes who! Cry when I try to tell people what happened that day are hazy I was just lineing up the. Here is the link to your site on my Pacoima page had forgotten on the other hand I... Sounds like a kid with interesting hobbies to add to the Left and pieces of airplane.. Your chosen path he was serious about educating his students and always had very! By one person and we had a very good and decent man significance to my family moved the! Serious about educating his students and always had a very classy demeanor that and other fascinating, heart-rending from...

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