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14 Years ago today, the darkest day in Aggie history
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:40 am
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:40 am
14 years ago today at 2:42 AM the Bonfire collapsed killing 12 students and injuring 27. I can't believe it was that long ago. The next week and a half until the Texas game was one of the most deeply emotional periods of my life. I worked on Bonfire all 4 years at A&M and was up on that stack in the middle of the night many times. It was 7,000 trees all cut by axes and placed in 6 stacks almost 60 feet high. The construction took the entire Fall Semester from cut to stack to burn. One of those that died was from my old Outfit in the Corps and I marched with several of my buddies to the Memorial the night before the Texas game.
My greatest memory of that week though was going to donate blood in Austin for the many injured and having to wait over an hour and a half because so many Texas students and alums were doing the same. I also remember vividly as the Texas Band played Amazing Grace at Kyle Field while raising Aggie flags. I will always have a respect for the University of Texas because of those actions.
I don't know how it was seen to the folks in the SEC or how many here even understood what was happening. I've wondered how those who weren't from Texas may have perceived it. I'm sure many if not most didn't even know we had a Bonfire or what it meant but Bonfire dwarfed every other tradition at a school that is crazy about traditions.
It is the one thing Aggies have no sense of humor about at all. Here is a video for those who aren't familiar: LINK
My greatest memory of that week though was going to donate blood in Austin for the many injured and having to wait over an hour and a half because so many Texas students and alums were doing the same. I also remember vividly as the Texas Band played Amazing Grace at Kyle Field while raising Aggie flags. I will always have a respect for the University of Texas because of those actions.
I don't know how it was seen to the folks in the SEC or how many here even understood what was happening. I've wondered how those who weren't from Texas may have perceived it. I'm sure many if not most didn't even know we had a Bonfire or what it meant but Bonfire dwarfed every other tradition at a school that is crazy about traditions.
It is the one thing Aggies have no sense of humor about at all. Here is a video for those who aren't familiar: LINK
28
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:42 am to aggressor
Here.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:42 am to aggressor
Very sad day indeed
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:43 am to aggressor
I thought this thread was going to be about losing to ULL
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:43 am to aggressor
quote:
I also remember vividly as the Texas Band played Amazing Grace at Kyle Field while raising Aggie flags
I didn't find out until after the game (was in the Aggie Band at the time), but when we did the "silent T", no one watching on TV saw, because the fricktards at ABC only showed the t.u. band.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:43 am to aggressor
Here. 
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:44 am to aggressor
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:45 am to aggressor
here
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:48 am to aggressor
Did you help build "the" bonfire?
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:56 am to aggressor
Here.
First time I'd ever seen my dad cry was while watching this game.
Wasn't a dry eye in our house when the Ags forced a fumble to seal the game.
Haven't been able to watch "the burning desire" yet.
First time I'd ever seen my dad cry was while watching this game.
Wasn't a dry eye in our house when the Ags forced a fumble to seal the game.
Haven't been able to watch "the burning desire" yet.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:57 am to aggressor
Posted on 11/18/13 at 2:17 pm to aggressor
To me what has been the most eerie about the Bonfire tragedy is that 12 people passed (given how important the number 12 is in Aggie lore).
Posted on 11/18/13 at 2:49 pm to aggressor
Seemed like a cool tradition sucks it had to end that way
Posted on 11/18/13 at 2:51 pm to aggressor
here.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 3:37 pm to aggressor
I remember that day very well. Was in law school at UT-Austin but there are a lot of Aggies there (in fact there's an Aggie Law Students Society) and remember us rushing up to the ones in our group asking if they were OK. It was terrible.
I was also a law clerk in the Governor's office the following spring and it so happened one of the projects I got to work on was the issue of whether or not there would be a waiver of sovereign immunity issued to allow the university to be sued by the families of the victims. That ultimately did not happen but I think it wasn't until 2007 or so that courts finally confirmed A&M's immunity.
I was also a law clerk in the Governor's office the following spring and it so happened one of the projects I got to work on was the issue of whether or not there would be a waiver of sovereign immunity issued to allow the university to be sued by the families of the victims. That ultimately did not happen but I think it wasn't until 2007 or so that courts finally confirmed A&M's immunity.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 4:20 pm to aggressor
Here.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 4:30 pm to aggressor
Can't believe it's been 14 years. One of the victims was a freshman from my high school, my freshman year at Memphis. IIRC.
I didn't know him, but still hit a little close to home.
I didn't know him, but still hit a little close to home.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 8:58 pm to aggressor
Ok a couple of questions:
What is the significance of saying "here"? I saw that aggies did that in the comments of the youtube videos as well.
What actually caused the collapse? Wind? Faulty construction of the pyre?
Sorry for all those affected in the tragedy, a shame such a cool tradition had to end that way.
What is the significance of saying "here"? I saw that aggies did that in the comments of the youtube videos as well.
What actually caused the collapse? Wind? Faulty construction of the pyre?
Sorry for all those affected in the tragedy, a shame such a cool tradition had to end that way.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 9:06 pm to aggressor
Remember it well. I lived in Houston at the time. I never had much love for aggies, except on that day. Prayers still go out to all.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 9:24 pm to aggressor
To the 4 idiots who down voted the OP, if you are that clueless then just skip the thread in the first place. No place for that here.
To everybody else, T&P for those lost and those that soldier on with the burden of loss.
To everybody else, T&P for those lost and those that soldier on with the burden of loss.
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