When Disaster Strikes

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Different generations are often defined by the tragedies that shatter their collective innocence.

The Hindenburg Disaster

The Zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenburg catching fire on May 6, 1937 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey.


For my father, the defining moment wasn't the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941—even though he was a high school senior at the time, and his two older brothers were immediately mobilized to train troops because of their military school experience. Instead, it was the unexpected shock of the Hindenburg crash in 1937 that left the deepest mark on him.

 

President John F. Kennedy Assassination

The Polaroid photo taken by Mary Ann Moorman a fraction of a second after the fatal shot 


For me, that loss of innocence came with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, a man who represented a bright, optimistic future. I clearly remember that cold, sunny day, walking home for lunch a few short blocks from school. There was still ice on the puddles. When a classmate told me the news, I simply refused to believe it.


September 11, 2001


Kent Kobersteen, former Director of Photography of National Geographic "The pictures are by Robert Clark and were shot from the window of his studio in Brooklyn. Others shot the second plane hitting the tower, but I think there are elements in Clark's photographs that make them special. To me the wider shots not only give context to the tragedy but also portray the normalcy of the day in every respect except at the Towers.  I generally prefer tighter shots, but in this case, I think the overall context of Manhattan makes a stronger image. And, the fact that Clark shot the pictures from his studio indicates how the events of 9/11 literally hit home. I find these images very compelling—in fact, whenever I see them, they force me to study them in great detail." Robert Clark—INSTITUTE .Time Magazine


Decades later came 9/11, an unprecedented modern attack on the American mainland. While the aftermath plunged the country into a prolonged era of war over "weapons of mass destruction," the tragedy hit terrifyingly close to home for my family. My youngest brother was in the basement of the Twin Towers buying donuts for his crew that very morning. When the planes hit, he was in his office across the street. He evacuated his office so quickly he left his coat behind. He had to trek to the next station while engulfed in the smoke and dust of the disaster above.

Another brother was on a flight from Baltimore/Washington International at 8 am. Soon the flight was over NYC and when looking down on the city, there was not a cloud in the sky. After landing in Boston, he heard of the attack as he was getting a rental car.  All flights were canceled.  Then he had an adventure driving home to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.


David T. Spangler


Editor: Do you have a tragedy that affected you?  Or possibly one that an ancestor told about. Send us a paragraph and a picture (if you have one), and we'll put together a blog with some of your thoughts.  Send your stories to m.strickland@skcgs.org


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Send your stories to m.strickland@skcgs.org





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