14 Years ago today, the darkest day in Aggie history

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