Memorial '70 50th Anniversary

[drmorqWarrenProject]

fuck... I remember this day so well... so badly... Wasnt it just yesterday? I was a paperboy... the route went from Douglas to 2nd street and Hillside to Chataqua... I was out collecting for the paper I was at the first house east of Chataqua after the corner house on the south side of 2nd street... I knocked on the screen door and a voice said angrily..'who is it'.... I replied 'collect for the paper'... he said come in... I was a little wary after the way he had talked but went in and he was sitting in a chair watching tv and there names rolling on the screen... I recognized some of them but couldnt figure out from where... I asked what happened and he said the football team was in a crash... he said 'have a seat'... his eyes were red... he paid his bill and we talked for a little bit... but mostly watched the special report... I think it was on channel 10 KAKE... but I stood up thanked him for paying his bill and stopped collecting for the day... my grandfather and I went to lots of games before that season.. We would always sit in the end zone seats... it was cool because the players would sometimes end up right there.. so close you could touch them. And we had been to the spring game that year.. I remember so well their running back I had heard so much about and my grandfather pointed him out... Number 22.. Randy Jackson... and he made a great impression on my grandfather.. After the game we went down on the field and met some of the players as they were heading to the locker room.. I said hello to Mr. Jackson and slapped his shoulder pads like everyone was doing.. and then a few years later I was a student at Metro High School... and found out that John Hoeheisel.. was a teacher there... wow... So I went out between classes and asked if we could talk.. He was very nice and said sure... It wasnt a long time.. but we did have about 20 minutes before his next class started. I told him I remembered watching him with my grandfather.. I believe he was a defensive line man? and here he was in person willing to talk about the crash... It was surreal.. almost like I was in a movie.
I could go on about this forever... Instead I will just say that this along with my grandfathers death 2 years later were life changing for me.. RIP

[ChakrockChalk]

Thank you for carrying the service online. My life was forever changed that day. Much love to the families touch by this tragedy who have forged their way forward in life despite the gaping holes left by the loved ones who never returned. This service was so honoring to all who lost their lives, to the loved ones left to carry on and those who stepped in to help. Love and prayers to all. The recent additions to the Memorial "70 site are wonderful. I look forward to seeing them in person. Thanks again for all the work it took to put this together for the ones who could not attend in person.