Rich Haskell: Yeah, I think I did. I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. Which is hard to believe, but a positive experience in that they learned something. It's a continuous training thing and years and years and years of continuous training with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, with the fire marshals and now that it has come into it with the hazardous materials and everything else. They lived in a mobile home with Princess, Davids youngest daughter from his first marriage. Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." The jug of gasoline had a pinhole-sized leak on its bottom. On May 16, 1986, David Young, Cokeville's former town marshal, and his wife, Doris, carried five rifles, five handguns and a "dead man's bomb" into the elementary school. 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. Lenita's father Rocky was a fifth grade teacher at Cokeville Elementary School at the time of the bombing, Lenita was a seventh grader. Angelic Intervention save all 153 in bomb blast - Cokeville Wyoming - Unexplained Mysteries - Angels Brain Boyle 2.05K subscribers Subscribe 928 158K views 11 years ago All 153 Children &. Some of them believed the assembly was about weapons; others began realizing something was seriously wrong. After a two-and-a-half hour standoff, the children were becoming restless, so the teachers preoccupied the kids in the form of movies, games, prayer, and books. 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. I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. Mark Junge: And when you went into the classroom you saw holes in the walls? Rich Haskell: No. Dozens. It said in there that they had brought blasting caps, ammunition, those types of things in and there was a sealed briefcase that was in the hallway. He came out of the bathroom, is what we figured. Virginia Tech, it wasn't that way. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. Shortly after their wedding, David and Doris left Cokeville and headed to Tucson, Ariz. During their time in Tucson, according to Doris daughter Bernie Petersen, David became increasingly reclusive, focusing on his philosophical readings and writings. As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. Mark Junge: And what happened? Mark Junge: With bombs? This narrative was perpetuated in many publications and productions. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" Also, how long was it before the kids started talking about seeing angels? I can understand that. I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. Well, when I arrived and saw that body layin' on the front lawn, I was told that was Doris. He did it right. Mark Junge: Oh, really! Personally I gave him 17 pages of journal notes! Why? She is a beautiful example of turning tragedy into triumph. It would have killed them. 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. I guess I should say I am only speaking as a child, the adults were probably tense the entire time! How did you determine how everything looked when this went up in smoke itself. http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis. 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. They had a circle of tape around the device itself and they said, "Do not come inside of this circle. It packed the brute force of twenty-five sticks of dynamite. One hostage observed a birthday on that day and songs were sung in his honor. Witnesses later testified that just before the explosion David Young had connected the explosive to his wife. I know it is real. over there. Cokeville Elementary School teachers and staff tried to keep kindergarteners through sixth graders calm and entertained. The gasoline bottle was leaking. Words emphasized by the speaker are italicized.~Transcribed by Russ Sherwin, Feb. 27, 2011. Well, he had put wooden shelves for layers. Rich Haskell: It's a combustible. Rich Haskell: Yes, there was a briefcase in the hallway, and we were toldbefore I had gotten there they had gotten papers from his daughter. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. Cokeville Bombing. Undated scrapbook. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this? On May 16, 1986, when former town marshal David Gary Young and his wife Doris Young took 154 children and thirteen teachers hostage at Cokeville Elementary school in Wyoming and kept them at bay with a shopping-cart sized bomb attached to five hairpin-trigger blast caps, it should have ended in great tragedy - one of the worst in American history. The Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis occurred on Friday, May 16, 1986 in Cokeville, Wyoming, United States, when former town marshal David Young, 43, and his wife Doris Young, 47,[1] took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. He was asking large amounts of money. It was just shootin' everywhere. [5], "You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. Chalkboards andwhat do they call those?whiteboards, I think they are, along the walls. Mark Junge: Had you seen anything like what took place in this classroom before? You HAVE to find the positives or the negatives can eat you up the rest of your life. Anything? Number one, that's where he worked. ", About 2 1/2 hours into the standoff, David transferred the triggering mechanism of the bomb to Doris' wrist, and went to a small bathroom that connected the first and second grade rooms. It was not a teacher, but her ancestor. You can also read about it on [Wikipedia] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis). Rich Haskell: Because of the response and because of the emails and everything that took place. [2] Before leaving the room, David attached the bomb's detonation device to his wife's wrist. Mark Junge: Do you think David or Doris would have cut it? Oral histories, memoirs and drawings began to reveal a narrative of fortune rather than misfortune. And then he shot himself. Because it was sittin' low enough and the kids were low enough that it would have done it. 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. 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. They increasingly spoke about their memories in public with professional psychologists, church officials and community counselors. Go to school and learn how to do it." Mark Junge: And the explosion went straight up? I actually created a website knowing that people would wonder what was real and what wasn't. There was no give in the school bus. Rich Haskell: No. The Cokeville Town Hall is located at 110 Pine St. For more information, visit the website of the Cokeville Chamber of Commerce at http://www.cokevillewy.com or call (307) 459-4195. This all happened about 8 months after the bombing. They were sitting out across the fence with scopes on their rifles just ready to shoot until the sheriff went out and said, "No. Journal entries also indicate that he saw opportunity in the close-knit community; he wrote, "Threaten one and all are at your mercy." I was, and I still am, a certified bomb technician at the time, and I was, as far as I know, the only bomb technician in the southern half of the state of Wyoming. That's what David Young forgot to realize just how important families were. I contacted my sheriff, and that was Jim Stark at the time, and he said, "Definitely! She fled the building and drove the Youngs vanwith Deppe and Mendenhall still insideto the town hall, where she reported her fathers plan. David, who dared not risk their reporting him to the authorities, responded by holding them at gunpoint. The photo of Rich Haskell is by Wyoming State Archives. That's a true line in the movie. Rich Haskell: Oh my goodness! By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. The two brought in a bomb attached to themselves with a lanyard. I know there's angels. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. I've got a couple of questions. We know he built two of 'em. How has that experience shaped your life? Of course, most children were elated by the prospects of an assembly. You know, the kids have forgot about it, let's let 'em move on. Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. Retro Report took a look back at this episode, with a focus on how Johnson & Johnson and . With the explosionwhat occurred? They do now - ever since the Youngs barged in on the Cokeville Elementary School with guns and a bomb to demand . Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. Nobody come inside this circle." The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Mark Junge: Do you think he took up thatwanted to take that up because of you? You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. So many of 'em thatI don't know. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 people hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville www.wyohistory.org 25 years after school bombing, Wyoming town remembers the . Hi MadreDeUnMono! 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. "Move!" At about 9:30 a.m., the bomb disposal squad used a robotic device to shoot out the end caps of the device, remove the . And he had to defuse bombs. Then he went to the restroom, which was attached to the classroom. Rich Haskell: Well, after I arrived it took probably three to four hours to make sure everything was neutral and everything was not going to be a threat any longer. During my years here in Wyoming I have refereed both basketball and football on the high school and the junior high school level, and I was watching the ball game at that time. Did this shake the faith of some people, or would you say it strengthened it in most? There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . In the days and weeks immediately after this event, most accounts focused on the horrors of the day. She's an avid genealogist, so maybe get involved with that, and maybe go on a mission for the church. Windows were opened to rid the room of gasoline fumes, and prayers were offered in small groups among the children. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. COKEVILLE, Wyo. I think it's because of the ages of the kids, to start with. There was no give in the school bus. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Mark Junge: Did you find the bullet that killed him, too? Sue Castaneda: Which is the son who is also running for sheriff? Current students at Cokeville Elementary School aren't taught about the '86 bombing, but most know the general story. There's a piece of wood in there that separates the jaws of a clothespin and in that clothespin there are two metal connections that the wires were hooked to which made the electrical connection with the bomb. One of the miracles that day was that not a single person was lost. Many children showed signs of distress with sobs, complaining of headaches from the smell of gasoline from the bomb, or simply wanting to go home. Recording and transcription by Wyoming State Archives. 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. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. A compilation project by the Cokeville Miracle Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charity. In 1986 , 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. She is one of the survivors whose story has become a part of The Cokeville Miracle. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. Rich Haskell: I don't know the birthdates but I know the names. Have you had anything like this, anything close to this happen? . Mark Junge: Where at? And knew what they could do? You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." 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. To my right is Sue Castaneda who is the Wyoming Oral History Project Director, and across the table from me is Rich Haskell, who is a certified bomb technician. Two of the three blasting caps on the bomb failed to detonate; the wires to each tuna can had been reportedly cut. They attempted to crowd 154 people into one of the two first grade classrooms, a room with a total capacity of 30 students and a teacher. David Young entered the school with his wife transporting a large gasoline-filled device that appeared to be a bomb. This is not a Mormon film it is more of an inspirational film. Cokeville Children Held Hostage by Bomber., Cokeville Elementary School Bombing: 25-Years Later. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Fagg, Ellen. What did you find out about them? The man and woman who took an elementary school here hostage Friday, injuring 70 children when their homemade gasoline bomb exploded, had ties to the Posse Comitatus and other white supremacist. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. Following the explosion, 79 children were taken to area hospitals, most of which were located more than an hours drive from Cokeville, for treatment for burns and smoke inhalation. According to survivor accounts, Doris enticed many into the first grade room by announcing that their presence was required for a school assembly. Rich Haskell: If it would have went off like it was supposed to have gone off, it would have lifted the roof off of that school. Mark Junge: Curious, Rich. And if I had been a little less of a jokester I may have seen something in that strange light. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there.
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