But we knew what our story was, and that it could help offer hope. I explained that she was the teacher that led me out when the bomb went off. Mark Junge: That's a mighty powerful gun! Being kids, they were curious. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. Cokeville Public Library. Accessed May 28, 2013 at. I don't know. the cokeville miracle debunked. Were you portrayed in the movie at all? Of what you would picture an angel, with the wings and, Mark Junge: Well, if I'm a skeptic, I could say, "Well, that's just the way the flames shot up.". Rich Haskell: There was a reason I was there for some reason. Rich Haskell: Absolutely. cokeville miracle hoax. Maybe writing that up 2 years ago when this came along was more healing for me than for him, but I gave it all to him! It is something that is not supposed to happen according to the current laws. "I learned that His tender mercies are everywhere--you just have to look for them," she said. Well, when I arrived at Cokeville, of course they had the roads all blocked off and there was not a lot of people around the school at the time. Mark Junge: Curious, Rich. For more information about our sponsors and the people behind WyoHistory.org, visit our About Us page: Hostage crisis at the elementary school in Cokeville, Wyo. Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. Doris went room to room, gathering students and faculty with claims of a surprise assembly. He began composing his philosophical manifesto, Zero Equals Infinity, in which he argued for a new world order or, as he called it, A Brave New World.. Rich Haskell: Well, by none of the kids bein' hurt that was supposed to be hurt. Rich Haskell: Well, as we were talking before we started recording, because of my knowledge with the explosives and with the law enforcement and everything else, I've had many opportunitiesbecause of the explosivesI've been with Vice President Cheney when he was here in Wyoming up in Pinedale. I was up there as part of his protection team. Wyoming has a lot of money as far as the state is concerned. We just focused on being grateful. ", Kam's lessons from Cokeville are profound:1.Bad things can happen anywhere, anytime.2.Not all men in beards are bad, but the eyes can tell you.3.God does intervene when men use their freedom to ask for His help.4.I need to pray.5.Miracles are real.6.Angels are real, and evidently our relatives are among them.7.Being super intellectual is not necessarily an advantage, but children praying with childlike faith is a super power.8.God lives. There are several great resources out there. If I deleted an entire phrase, I have inserted ellipses . The Wyoming History one may be the best. Altogether, 154 people gathered in that claustrophobic, 30 by 32-foot room, including 136 children, 9 teachers, 6 staff, a job applicant, and a UPS driver. Shortly after their wedding, David and Doris left Cokeville and headed to Tucson, Ariz. During their time in Tucson, according to Doris daughter Bernie Petersen, David became increasingly reclusive, focusing on his philosophical readings and writings. A compilation project by the Cokeville Miracle Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charity. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. They had a circle of tape around the device itself and they said, "Do not come inside of this circle. If you are interested in seeing the film, theaters are listed here. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. The only thing I bristle at is that TC has me suggesting that we say a prayer. Cokeville seems like a pretty small town. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. 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. I think he went in the Marine Corps because of me and served 25 years and retired. Mark Junge: Well, you've been blessed in a lot of ways. In Cokeville, Nowhere, Wyo. It became a story of a miracle rather than a tragedy. June 3, 2015 A woman came into Kam Wixom's six grade classroom in Cokeville, Wyoming on May 16, 1986 telling him and his classmates that she had a surprise for them waiting in room 4. Mark Junge: We were worried, Sue and I, that people would take offence, right? Mark Junge: You had some bullets in the ceiling that you had to investigate, too. As reporters converged on Cokeville, another story emerged. What did you find out about them? He instructed Doris and Princess, by now a young adult, to handcuff them inside his van. You can ask me anything about this today between 1-2pm. Rich Haskell: Well, after I arrived it took probably three to four hours to make sure everything was neutral and everything was not going to be a threat any longer. When I looked at everyone looking at me (as if I should call on someone to say it) I realized I should call on Allyson Cornia - literally because she was the smartest kid in the class! Davids friends did not know that the Biggie was a plan to take over Cokeville Elementary School, hold each of the children hostage for $2 million dollars apiece and then detonate the bomb, transporting the money and children to his Brave New World, where he would be God. Mark Junge: Why do you think that God chose Cokeville to save? 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. Mark Junge: Today is the 23rd of September, 2010. All the kids were saved. I simply got on my knees and started crawling in the exact direction I needed to go.". Any sincere petition to God is powerful. They had both been married before and had children one daughter for Doris and two for David. Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. Peterson, Carol. cokeville miracle debunked. Thus, when David and Doris Young entered the towns only elementary school with an arsenal of weapons and a gasoline bomb in a grocery cart, no one saw it coming. But he knew the culture, he knew the type of people, and I'm not sayin' that Mormon people are better than anybody else, but their way of life is family is first. I did open that briefcase remotely like I was taught in school to do. . He targeted the tight-knit community, noting in his journals: Threaten one, and all are at your mercy. However, what he took as a weakness would be Cokevilles true strength. And that was their whole intent of coming to Cokeville. You should also know that TC basically just wove a storyline into and between the facts and witness testimonies. I think I made it there in record timeI'm not sure. Two people walked into the local elementary school and took the towns children and teachers hostage. Students, teachers, staff and visitors frantically exited the building, with teachers helping many of the children escape through the windows. Blu-Ray. Nobody come inside this circle." 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. I actually hadn't thought of doing that, yet. I mean, we're talking about from kindergarten kids up to 10-, 11-, 12-years old. Once all the hostages were contained in the first grade classroom, David Young informed them that they were leading a revolution and distributed copies of his philosophy Zero Equals Infinity to everyone present. "I never said anything to anyone until we were looking through some family albums with my grandma when I was 11 or 12," Jennie said. --- If you'd like to make a per episode donat And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. The Cokeville Town Hall is located at 110 Pine St. For more information, visit the website of the Cokeville Chamber of Commerce at http://www.cokevillewy.com or call (307) 459-4195. David set himself near the center of the room with the grocery cart bomb nearby, as Doris went from room to room rounding up people. This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! He listened so well, so patiently. Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. That much I know. She was there and saved me. Mark Junge: Okay. I believe there was a hundred-and-sixty-plus people involved that was being held. It's a part of my life, one that I don't frequently revisit, but impossible not to reflect on from time to time. Rich Haskell: There was also ayou look through the ceiling and there was a bigger hole up there. This can, the aluminum powder, never went off. Rich Haskell: Not really that often, but every time I think about it I get very emotional. We know he built two of 'em. ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. David Youngs journals and writings reveal that he was a troubled man who spent many years grappling with deep philosophical questionsabout mans existence, the afterlife and spirituality. Since then, the story has become a local legend, with several variants emerging, including tales of an angelic outline in the shrapnel. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis. Do you ever think about that? So there's doubt in your mind that there was divine intervention? I guess I should say I am only speaking as a child, the adults were probably tense the entire time! Then, several years later, Jennie Sorensen identified what she thought was a teacher who led her out of the building after the blast. Number one, that's where he worked. Rich Haskell: Yep. 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. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. It was there for a long time, all that support. It was just shootin' everywhere. I'm proud of all my children. Part of HuffPost Impact. 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. PG-13. Hi, I am working on publicity for the film, and I will chime in if anyone needs it, or has other questions. So he did try that device. All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. The tuna fish cans with the two floury would be spread out in the air likehave you ever seen a grain elevator explosion? It said in there that they had brought blasting caps, ammunition, those types of things in and there was a sealed briefcase that was in the hallway. Mark Junge: Did you help bring the body out? The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. When authorities arrived, he demanded to speak to President Reagan, to whom hed sent a copy of his manifesto, and then asked for the ransom. Unexplained Mysteries: Angel Files. Season 1, Episode 20. I really did not even want to walk inside that building because I was just afraid that I'd see kids all over the place. She's an avid genealogist, so maybe get involved with that, and maybe go on a mission for the church. ", "When my last son reached the end of first grade, I had the opportunity to tell them about the traumatic event in my life. Adults were probably tense the entire time his tender mercies are everywhere -- you just have to look for,. Have inserted ellipses just have to look for them, '' she said really hurt hostage crisis,... Another story emerged people would take offence, right a cokeville miracle debunked state concerned! And they said, `` do not come inside of this circle some reason kindergarten kids up to 10- 11-... 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