An American Holocaust: The Story of Lataine’s Ring
by Kerry Barger
75 years ago on March 18, 1937 around 3:17 pm, one of the most modern public school buildings in America exploded in a rural Texas community decimating the student population and destroying innocent lives. Considered the worst public school disaster in American history, controversial theories surrounding this tragedy are still debated to this day. The event sparked changes that soon reverberated around the world and continue to affect each of us in our homes, schools, businesses and places of worship.
“An American Holocaust” is a story that begins with the giving of a child’s Christmas gift in 1936. The explosion took place at the London School in New London, Texas in 1937. The story relays more than simple facts. It is a personal account of unprepared loss and shattered dreams, followed by unfathomable grief. It describes the feelings of those who died in their innocence and of those who witnessed horror and lived through the aftermath. An unresolved silence persisted for forty years among the entire community of scarred survivors. For those who spoke out, their stories have been told and re-told for three quarters of a century, but most people have never heard them.
Although the innocent still suffer from the ignorance and indifference of a few, especially those we should be able to trust with the lives and safety of our children, this is also a story of hope. Countless lives have been saved by bold actions that were taken in the wake of this unanticipated sacrifice of so many children who were literally consumed by fire. It was truly an American holocaust. (See the video book at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0DE3ACE1517F08F2&feature=view_all )
The following is an editorial review by John E. Roper, The US Review of Books:
“I remember being thrown up in the air like a toy… I keep turning and spinning. Then darkness.”
The attack on the World Trade Center in New York claimed almost 3,000 lives and changed America forever. A little-remembered explosion of a school in the 1930s resulted in just over 300 deaths, yet it, too, had a tremendous impact on society. Barger revives the story of one of the nation’s most poignant tragedies in his highly-moving tale.
The school in New London was considered one of the most modern facilities in the state for the time period, and the residents of the small East Texas town were extremely proud of it. Like in many of the small towns near the oil fields, school officials had decided to tap into the natural gas lines to cut heating costs at the facility. What they never realized was just how dangerous that practice could be. On March 18, 1937, a spark in the wood shop ignited the cloud of invisible and odorless gas that had slowly permeated the school. The resulting explosion killed children and teachers alike, littering the area with body parts and completely devastating a community. The catastrophe led Texas to mandate the inclusion of an additive to natural gas that would enable people to smell it. The nation and then much of the world soon followed suit.
Barger’s book follows the lives of several families affected by the tragedy, including his own. By giving the reader glimpses into the hopes and dreams of individuals like his cousin, Lataine, he builds a literary memorial to those who lost so much to make others safe in the future… it stands as a much-needed reminder of an event that should never be forgotten.
www.theUSreview.com
Currently a best-selling author, Kerry Barger is a native Texan and proud of it. His family’s heritage in the state predates the American Civil War when they came to Texas on horses and in covered wagons to homestead the land. One of his great grandparents was a Native American Blackfoot, a genetic fact that some believe explains his intolerance for injustice and hard liquor. His daughter was even awarded a college scholarship by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the oldest patriotic women’s organization in Texas. The Wright brothers of Kitty Hawk, President Grover Cleveland, and General Robert E. Lee are all listed on his family tree.
After graduating from high school in 1970, he went to college to pursue the career goal of improving the state’s mental health care system and completed a science degree from the University of Houston in 1978.
You can visit the author’s website at https://sites.google.com/site/kerrylbarger . His latest book release, “An Empty Tomb Where Roses Bloom”, details events of the worst school tragedy in U.S. history. This is a re-titled edition of “An American Holocaust: The Story of Lataine’s Ring”. His mother’s cousin and childhood playmate was killed in that catastrophe. The author’s interview with his mother recalling events of the London School explosion of March 18, 1937 is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEz9B_GUsmg .
Since retirement, he has traveled in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe while researching ancient biblical mysteries and writing the controversial book, “Elohim”, which offers an unconventional explanation of mankind’s origins and biblical literature.
In his published autobiography, “High Times and Rough Rides…”, the front page Dallas Morning News article dated March 22, 1969 entitled “Youth Who Defended ‘Pot’ Is Committed” is reprinted in its entirety. This book is a must for anyone who has family members struggling with drug or alcohol addiction.
Future plans include the release of his companion book that was written for the movie “London Texas”, currently scheduled to open in theaters in 2012.
(Notice to literary agents, publishers and producers: all applicable rights are open for bid. Contact information is available at the end of the books or via the author’s website at https://sites.google.com/site/kerrylbarger/ .)
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