I was home sick in Gaylord, Minnesota from the 4th grade. I was listening to the radio (KDWB 101.3) and the announcer broke the news that the Challenger had exploded. I will always remember the next song they played on the radio was 'Conga' by Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. Whenever I hear that song now, I think of Challenger.
I spent the afternoon watching the replays and the amazing thing was, up until then I was never really interested in space. After that, I wrote to NASA and gathered as much information as I could and then I saw the movie Space Camp and in July, 1988 I attended Space Camp and was Commander of my flight crew. I have been into the space program since then. I will never forger their names, their faces and their courage. I never met them, but their sacrifice changed my life.
I cannot believe it has been 19 years...it seems like it was just yesterday. I still have the Time magazine about the explosion and several newspapers from that day. God bless them all.