It is April 16, 1947. The place is Texas City, Texas. I am 9 years old. My father left for work about two hours ago. Today he did something he has never done before. Before he left for work he woke me up, said a few things I can't recall, gave me a hug, and as he left he said, "take care of your mother." I never saw him again.

About two hours later my mother and I are standing in the back door of our home looking at a column of bright orange smoke (indicating a nitrate based fire) coming from the area of the docks next to the Monsanto chemical plant where my father works, when the whole horizon to the south seems to explode. Our home is about 2 1/2 miles from the explosion. A few seconds later the sound and concussion arrive. The wave front knocks us down and backwards about ten feet. When we get to our feet immense columns of very dark black smoke are beginning to rise from the many refineries and chemical plants located everywhere to the south. A whole ship load of small arms ammunition and 4,600,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer (Okla City - remember) has exploded. The blast killed over 550 people, more than 10% of our small city's population. It killed every one of our small town's fire fighters who were all fighting the blaze when the ship exploded. The blast registered on seismographs around the world. It was heard on some ranches in quiet areas of West Texas to the west of San Antonio some 400 miles away. If that wasn't enough about 16 hours later another ship at an adjacent dock that was carrying a similar cargo and that had been caught by the original blast also exploded.

You may have seen a History Channel story on this disaster. It has aired a few times in the last year as part of their "Great Blunders of the 20th Century) series.

To see the similarity of the scale of the destruction at Texas City and the WTC see the pictures located at: http://www.local1259iaff.org/disaster.html

For more Texas City pictures and stories follow the links at: http://www.google.com/search?q=%22texas+city+disaster%22&btnG=Google+Search

I make reference to this event because I want anyone who reads this that has missing or lost friends or family at the NYC, PA, and Pentagon disasters that, except for possibly the anger, there are other Americans who have had the same losses and emotions you are experiencing now in an event of similar destructive scale. We offer you our prayers, our sympathy and our support.

Don't give up, be assured, as it did with us those many years ago, America stands with you.

George Baker
Jonesboro, GA.
www.justatouch.com