The town has worked to be as respectful as possible to the multitude of experiences that day. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Used with thanks. Rich Haskell: There was a reason I was there for some reason. David had also sent a copy of the manifesto to Reagan. If I deleted an entire phrase, I have inserted ellipses . They learned to trust in their God, the kids were healed for the most part, and they value life more now. 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. After a stand-off lasting two and a half hours, the gasoline bomb the couple had brought into the school went off prematurely, badly burning Doris Young while David Young was out of the room. 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. Interesting stuff to me! Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Wyoming Horror: A Fiery Schoolhouse Bomb., A 1986 Hostage Event at a Cokeville, Wyoming Elementary School., Jarvik, Elaine. The only thing I bristle at is that TC has me suggesting that we say a prayer. Doris tried numerous times to calm the children by telling them to "think of it as an adventure movie," or that they "would have a great story to tell their grandchildren." On one hand people didn't want money to be made off of suffering, but on the other hand it felt ungrateful to not share it in the way that TC would or could. So there's doubt in your mind that there was divine intervention? I saw an early screening of the film and absolutely loved it. On May the 16th , 1986, 1 was in Rock Springs at a basketball game. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." Amy Bagaso Williams was a fifth-grader when a couple used a bomb while taking hostages at her Wyoming school on May 16, 1986. Rich Haskell: Sure. Hey, I am not the survivor, but I spent my summers in Cokeville, my family is from there, and I have been helping on publicity for the film. The explosion engulfed her in flames and burned many nearby children. I know there's angels. Do you think this is a historical event? Teachers were confused and baffled by Young's nonsensical, strange writing. And that's exactly what took place in Cokeville. Rich Haskell: You know, with 33 years of law enforcement, I've seen a lot of things. Well, when I arrived and saw that body layin' on the front lawn, I was told that was Doris. P. O. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News. The miraculous events that followed transformed the lives of hundreds of people, including many who witnessed angels or received heavenly help from deceased ancestors. Mark Junge: One of the things that Sue and I found out is that people don't regret doing this because they think it's important for history. In the tiny classroom, they watched movies, played games, prayed. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Lota, Louinn. And knew what they could do? No need to troll. Had a gallon milk jug full of gasoline on one level, had aluminum powder, flour and those two components was in tuna fish cans directly under the gasoline bomb. Associated Press. Guys like you have to go and search every corner. David returned to the restroom and killed himself, ending the hostage crisis. There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. Mark Junge: That's a mighty powerful gun! I had the chance to watch the pre-screening of the film and it was very emotional. David attached the bomb trigger to his wrist and threatened the group that he might, at any time, move his arm and ignite the bomb. What should people know going into the film? 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. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. and detonated a bomb inside. Upon entering the classroom, children saw an arsenal of weapons, a grocery cart and an unfamiliar manDavid Young. I cannot tell you what happened. Mark Junge: They weren't big enough, in a way. Mark Junge: You also mention in your written article in Witness to Miracles [See Note] , the book, that you found a briefcase and you had to open it remotely? Can you describe this? Mark Junge: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. the children began describing things more specifically and that is when the mom was prompted to find the photograph of their grandmother. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. That's a true line in the movie. Sue Castaneda: Did you look at (unintelligible). So you got that and you got the flour and the gasoline and that's what it was all designed to do in millisecond delays. As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. Some of them believed the assembly was about weapons; others began realizing something was seriously wrong. This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! Recording and transcription by Wyoming State Archives. Then when I became a deputy, Sheriff Stark says, "You know, we're going to start finding a bunch of old explosives, dynamite and things. Too many of 'em to try to remember their birthdays. 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. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. Hi, I am working on publicity for the film, and I will chime in if anyone needs it, or has other questions. 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. 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. In the days and weeks immediately after this event, most accounts focused on the horrors of the day. Rich Haskell: Yes, I did. I guess I should say I am only speaking as a child, the adults were probably tense the entire time! So if the state didn't pay him, he figured the Mormon church would pay him because the Mormon church has money also. How much interaction did you have with the director/producers of the movie? 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. You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." One hostage observed a birthday on that day and songs were sung in his honor. According to survivor accounts, Doris enticed many into the first grade room by announcing that their presence was required for a school assembly. Mark Junge: And your great-grandkids? In the classroom, David held the gasoline bomb, with the triggering mechanism attached to a string tied around his wrist. They increasingly spoke about their memories in public with professional psychologists, church officials and community counselors. He hadn't had anything to eat and she finally convinced him to get something to eat, and he let her be in charge of that bomb. That's why I have a computer. One of the unique things that I noticed when I went into that room and I don't know if any of the other people have told you about it or whatever else, but when I walked into that room you could see the outline on the whiteboard of an angel. I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. The kids couldn't have cut it. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. 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. You HAVE to find the positives or the negatives can eat you up the rest of your life. Go to their hands and knees and crawl out. 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. And I didn't know about the angel thing comin' to the kids until many days later. In 2006, the Cokeville Miracle Foundation compiled a book of recollections about the day from parents, emergency workers and former hostages. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. Sue Castaneda: Carla said that some people were mad that we were there. He listened so well, so patiently. The Hartley story didn't come out publicly until my parents (who wrote the book in the year after the bombing) began asking questions about this kind of thing. I was up there as part of his protection team. He came out of the bathroom, is what we figured. http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis. Because they refused to participate, Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime. He knew it was a predominantly Mormon [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community. Young was a former Cokeville town marshal who had been living in Arizona for several years. The kids could just go to the bathroom right from their classroom. Kind of a synopsis of what they were going to do and what their plans were and the whole thing. Whenever they would come to Wyoming I would be part of their security team. At 1:00 pm, they pulled up to the Cokeville Elementary School and unloaded a gasoline bomb, along with four rifles and nine handguns. Mark Junge: Oh, really! I've got a couple of questions. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. Mark Junge: In fact, didn't you say you burned up your engine? Lenita's father Rocky was a fifth grade teacher at Cokeville Elementary School at the time of the bombing, Lenita was a seventh grader. 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. 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. While David and Doris Young were not involved in an organized religion, both were deeply spiritual. Doris had a migraine headache that day, in talking with the other folks, and she was complaining about that, and asked David if she could open the windows because the gas fumesevidently the gas was leaking from the incendiary and he finally consented to let 'em open the window. Audio/Video Recording. You'd had experience? Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley I later learned he'd been shot in the back. I don't know. You went back home? Rich Haskell: Yeah, I think I did. Press J to jump to the feed. In the meantime, David and Doris Young gathered children, teachers, staff and visitors in the elementary school into one central location. Yeah, we didn't get a lot of sleep. The top basket contained a gallon milk jug of gasoline, wired with a blasting cap. Vengeance for having been fired did not seem to have been the motive, but rather a philosophy recorded in journal entries referring to a Brave New World where he wanted to reign over intelligent children. You know this is going to sound morbid, but I always thought if the Muslims, the radical Muslims were smart, they would take their jihad to local communities because that would scare the hell out of 'em like it did in Cokeville. I'm not saying all of 'em were bombs, but why did God cut out Cokeville and say nobody's going to get hurt in this? Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime because of their refusal to participate.[6]. who wins student body president riverdale. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . Many of the children who stated they saw angels were of various faiths. 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. They lived in a mobile home with Princess, Davids youngest daughter from his first marriage. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. Mark Junge: What's been your experiences since then? It was not a teacher, but her ancestor. 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. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the convicted killer whose 1974 murders spawned the "Amityville Horror" franchise, died last week while serving a 25 years-to-life prison term, officials said Monday . Several other survivors were there. Read more Rich Haskell: I am. When were you satisfied that there were no more bombs? Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. [6] With permission, the teachers brought in books, art supplies and a television to help keep the children occupied. On May 16, 1986, former town marshal David Young and his wife Doris Young took 167 children and adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. Mark Junge: Yeah, my brother-in-law worked in the Navy as a chief petty officer and he worked with what they called EOD. He still needed to tell it to his parents though, and that's basically what you see in the movie. over there. 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 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.
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