| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
2001-2005
In this section there are unedited excerpts from
the guest book as well as from email I have
received. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
I'm the oldest of four daughters of Ted Hudson.
Daddy was instrumental in spreading the news" of
the tragic explosion within a few hours of the
event. He was the first "news" person on the
scene. He was the owner of the newly-opened
radio station in Henderson. He arrived with
transmission equipment in a "bally-hoo" wagon -
panel truck - usually used for making publicity
tours of the town with commercial messages
booming from speakers mounted on the roof. Daddy
found a dangling phone line, connected his
equipment, and began broadcasting from the scene
from a stake-bed truck, calling for emergency
workers, equipment, doctors and nurses, and
ambulances by dark on that first day. After
about 70 hours on the air, he ended with
bulletins to friends with car radios directing
singing groups and preachers to funeral services
all over East Texas. He and a friend had flown
over the site in a plane from Henderson airport,
and he went back to town , loaded what equipment
he needed, then drove to New London, hoping
there would be some way he could help. His life-
long ambition was to broadcast "coast-to-coast".
Nine years later, he died in the crash of his
own plane, at Powell, TX.
Much has been made of the presence of Walter
Cronkite as a reporter from Houston, but it
seems to me the newsworthy presence was the
reporter on the radio who spent many hours
locating specific people and tools to help those
in need. In my family, this is equal to the
broad- cast of the explosion of the Hindenburg,
in New Jersey. It seems a shame that this
"first" has been almost lost.
Daddy was always interested in promoting
talented youth in our area. He was an
accomplished M C and herded groups of dancers
singers and musical groups all over the oil
field - right up till WW II. The radio station
had been sold shortly before the war, and Daddy
went on to other endeavors, but what a way to
have your hearts desire ! !
Randolph Harris owned one of the only cars with
a radio, and he and Daddy helped with funerals
as long as needed. The plane flown over the site
belonged to another friend, Ross Illif, an
automobile dealer in Henderson at the time.
Somewhere there is a picture of Daddy on that
stake-bed truck with his microphone, doing what
he did best, helping out whenever he could. I'd
love to have a copy of the picture.
Mary Lou (Hudson) Powell
December 3, 2005 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Hi I just wanted to share this I live about 5
min. from New London School and I had a
substitute Teacher (Mrs. Gordon ) who's Mother
was a teacher at New London and she lucky
thanks to her class did not get killed She and
her class were on the 2nd Story when she got
under her desk and told her class to do the same
One Boy Stood up and said NO And jumped out the
window her class followed then also did the
Teacher. Her and her class survived. And also
This teacher Niece who was a student at New
London School well on march 18, Had complained
and said she didn't feel good at all and that she
felt sick. Her parents allowed her to stay home
that day. everyone in her class were Killed that
day. I'm Sorry
I'm not sure on any names. Also does
anyone know which nursing home mrs.leverett is
in????
November 11, 2005
Brent Keith Fleming
TxLonghorns81891@cs.com |
|
| |
|
|
| |
In 1938, I was in the forth grade in Seagraves
Texas. We had a new boy in class who had moved
from New London. The day of the explosion, he
and a friend had played hookey the day of the
explosion. They were sitting on top of a hay
stack about a mile from the school when it blew.
Bricks were flying over their heads. He was
afraid his mother would give him a spanking so
he ran home and hid in the coat closet. His
mother found him as she was grabbing a coat to
go to the school. I don't remember his name.
Thought you might be interested in hearing about
the good side of hookey. That is the extent of
my 69 year old memory.
November 10, 2005
Bill Choate
Palmdale, Calf |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My Daddy's name was Robert Williams. He died in
1970. Daddy never spoke of the explosion to my
knowledge but my Aunt Ivonell and Uncle Buff
told us all about it. It happened on My Daddy's
birthday and he had skipped school to avoid the
belt line. When he left that morning he yelled
back to the house that he was going fishing. My
Granddaddy told him he better get to school.
Granddaddy really didn't mind him skipping under
the circumstances. My Uncle Buff had just gone
out to the band shack to get his band uniform
for some completion that was going on when the
school exploded. My grandparents, as I'm sure
everyone was, were struck with fear that their
two boys had perished. Grandmother was at the
beauty shop in town when it happened and ran
with her hair still wet to find her sons. She
was knelling between two cars praying when my
uncle found her. Moments later a man told my
Daddy that his mother was looking for him and
where she was. I can't even imagine how she felt
to see her darling boys unharmed. My Daddy
worked all night helping the other men get the
bodies out. I have thought so many times how he
must have felt pulling his school mates and
friends out of that hell hole. Daddy started
college that September at Texas A&M but had to
leave due to the stress of the hazing. My
Grandmother and Grandfather never spoke of the
tragedy (most people didn't) and they had no
idea the stress my Daddy was under. Grandmother
said after what Daddy had seen on that horrible
day that he could not take the cruelty of
people. He almost had a nervous breakdown.
They say this changed my Daddy. However he was
the most wonderful man I ever knew.
Thank you for your web site, it's helped me and
I wasn't even there.
I have a picture of Daddy the morning after the
explosion that a newsman had taken. It speaks
about how Daddy had worked all night with the
others. Once again thank you for your passion.
October 20, 2005
Becky Collums |
|
| |
|
|
| |
I had a brother A J Thompson in the class of 43
who still lives in Tyler. He was the only one in
the building that fell but I also had two others
in school at the time of the explosion.
My mother and Dad were there as soon as they
could be to help. I was in the class of 53.
There were five of us boys and we lived where
the old Bunker Hill school had been. It was
about two miles from the school.
My Mother still lives in Tyler by herself "by
choice" .She is 95 and recalls allot about the
disaster. We were very fortunate to have All the
family intact. We did lose several relatives
some Thompson, Maxwell, Barber, and Coopers, were
all related to us on my dads side of the family
and were considered pioneers of Rusk county.
October 16, 2005
Harvey Thompson
Ducknbullpoochie@aol.com |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
I lived about 4 miles from New London in 1937.
When the school exploded, my mother, brother and
I were playing about 4 miles away and heard the
explosion. My dad John (Blondie) Bowen was a
roustabout for Midstates Oil, and rushed to help
in the rescue efforts. I was only 4 at the time,
but remember him when he came home. It seemed
like he worked straight through for about 3 days
and nights, without any rest. He was totally
wiped out when he got home, and it was the first
time I saw him cry. I remember seeing newspaper
photos of the rescue workers, and dad was in
several shots. Mom kept them but our home burned
down in 1943 and we lost them. I have visited
the museum twice once with my granddaughter, and
once with my wife. It always brings tears to my
eyes to remember the kids who died and the
gallant efforts of the oilfield community that
rallied around to aid the living and excavate
the victims. I September of that year I entered
school at Gaston. I went there for 3.5 years
before we moved to Prague, Oklahoma.
I also visited the Gaston museum when I visited
the New London museum.
October 13th 2005
Kenneth H Bowen
kbowen@pdq.net
Pearland, TX |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My father was one of the many men that went to
help at the school on that day. My mother was in
labor and about to deliver my brother at the
Wheeler Hospital and watched as the ambulances
brought in some of the injured from New London.
It is a shame that the school changed it's name.
October 9th 2005
W. M. Thedford
Tyler, TX |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My mother was Jimmie Pauline Nailon (Nation).
She had two cousins who were twins killed in
this explosion. She showed me a picture of them
when I was a child. I don't remember their names
and mom has since passed away.
If anyone knows their names please email me.
September 5th 2005
Dr. Calvin Nation
nationjcn@aol.com |
|
| |
|
|
| |
We just buried Jimmy Ray Bonner on the 18th of
August at Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, next to his
father, mother, sister and brother. His brother,
George Atmon, and sister, Oneita, perished in
the New London explosion. Jimmy didn't go to
school that day. Instead, God chose him to go on
and attend college (Texas A&M), join the Navy
and become a Golden Glove boxer (he was supposed
to be on the USS Indianapolis, which was
torpedoed and sank during WWII, but was boxing
for the Navy instead), and even went
professional for a while. Then God decided he
should start a family. H e raised 3 wonderful
children (my husband Bucky, my beautiful
sister-in-law Janna, and Brenda, who passed away
several years ago as the result of a tragic car
accident).
It's hard to understand why children have to die
before their parents, but Paw Paw and Maw Maw
kept George Atmon and Oneita alive in their
hearts and soul, just as Brenda has been kept
alive in the hearts of many.
While Jimmy was certainly a survivor of this
horrible accident (his life proves it), he has
finally gone home.
It's been nearly 70 years since this tragedy
occurred, but finally Jimmy, George Atmon and
Oneita can once again play together and with Maw
Maw and Paw Paw they can finally be the family
they once were. And Brenda can now spend time
with the family that loved and missed her so and
meet those she never knew.
This is a great website. The pictures alone are
priceless. I will share this site with the
family - it's a wonderful memorial to both the
victims and the survivors. I'm glad I found it.
Thank you for your devotion and dedication. May
God bless us all.
August 23rd 2005
Leesa Bonner
Port Aransas, Texas
bucky@bboutfitters.com |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My dad , Dan Mendell, Jr. was with Humble Oil
and arrived at the scene moments after the
explosion. Does anyone remember him?
He never once talked to me about the New London
disaster. I think it was too horrible for him to
talk about.
August 7th 2005
Jerry Mendell
Zavalla, TX
shane654321@aol.com |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My dad , Dan Mendell, Jr. was with Humble Oil
and arrived at the scene moments after the
explosion. Do you have any record of him in any
of your papers? He never once talked to me about
the New London disaster. I think it was too
horrible for him to talk about.
August 7, 2005
Jerry Mendell
Civil Engineer, Humble Oil
Shane654321@aol.com |
|
| |
|
|
| |
I am directly connected to the New London School
Explosion. My father William Clifford Barber
survived the explosion; his brother "Ollie Bell"
died in the explosion, his sister Ruby Viola
Barber had her back broken in 5 places. She
survives to tell the story today.
My Aunt Helen Barber was at home sick that day.
My Aunt Ruby told me that my daddy ran all the
way home from the school to Hwy 323 to tell Mary
Barber, his mother there had been an explosion.
I saw my cousin, Debra Corpora in Rockport this
weekend. She told me that Sara Mosle` has written
the book, "A Generation Died", it will be
released within 3 months.
July 31, 2005
Tonia Jane Barber Mashburn
Arlington, TX
janeycat@sbcglobal.net |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My granddad and my great uncle was two of the
rescuers. My Granddad died October 5th, 2003 My
Great Uncle Died on Iwo Jimia in World War 2. I
do know that My Granddad did say that my Uncle
did everything that he could to save as many
people as he could he was a firefighter if I am
not mistaken and My Granddad was a Police
Officer and they both responded that dreadful
day My Granddad didn't say very much about it I
guess it upset him just thinking about it but
maybe there names will be honored in the movie
that is being made My Granddad's Name was
Luther Alton Mathis or also Known as Tiger Mathis
My Great Uncle's Name was Donald Mathis I would
appreciate it if you would put these names on
the Memory list of the Rescuers.
July 16, 2005
Matt Mathis
New London Tx |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Hello, My name is Linda Kay (Walton) Barr. I was
raised just outside of New London in the
oil-field and attended New London (West Rusk)
school. My father, W.H. (Sonny) Walton was one
among the hundreds in the oil field who helped
to dig out and clean up after that horrific
explosion. He never spoke much about it, simply
stated that of all the terrible things he'd seen
in his life, that was the hardest and most awful
thing he ever had to do. He loved children and
seeing all that death and destruction was I
think almost too much even for a strong man like
him. I commend you on this site and for striving
to keep alive the memory of all those who were
killed that day. And thanks also for bringing to
the rest of the world the knowledge that people
who have been flippantly called" Oil Field Trash"
were good, hard working, God fearing people who
cared about their neighbors even if they didn't
know them personally!! This was a tragic place in
time ;however, the joining of forces by all
involved was a tribute to the greatness of the
people in our small part of this very big
world. I have lived away from New London for many
years, but my heart is still there and I am
trying to get moved back as well. Again, Thanks
for the memories!!
July 28, 2005
Linda Kay (Walton) Barr |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
