I was on guard duty, at a NATO ammo dump in Germany. Grave yard shift. At shift change over, we were seeing the replay of the film and yeah, we knew it was bad.

I was in a speech class my sophomore year in college. Someone came in and told us what happened. We left class and watched the news coverage on TV in the student center. I remember folks being shocked and saddened (myself included). I also remember talking with others about there possibley being an escape system from the shuttle. It quickly became clear that didn't happen.

i was first year teaching. Some of the students at the school cheered. Sad way to start a new career. That was a public school. Did a brief stay at a catholic school - it had its moments, i had a great soccer team. Then i spent 14 years in a progressive private school and then for a while college before going into counseling.

We had a TV at work, we watched all the launches, we knew no one would make it.
Discovery was worse for the people, they could watch the craft disintegrate. IMO either case it was a sad day for the United States and their families.?

I can still see it plain as day in my memory. I was in the gym at my high school walking north (i know -weird detail) towards a set of three (3) double doors. We were walking laps for gym class. I don;t remember much more about that day, but I can vividly recall that instant.

On the way home from school, my bus driver confirmed to us what happened. "It doesn't look good. They're not coming home."

After getting off the school bus, I went straight to my room, got on my knees to pray for the nice people on the space shuttle.

I prayed asking "god" if "he" at least spared the crew from pain.

Please forgive me, but it's my memory of events.