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Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) School Fire, December 1, 1958
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Personal Experiences with Our Lady of the Angels School Fire

If you have a personal experience, recollection or opinion about the December 1, 1958 Our Lady of the Angels school fire, whether you were present at the fire or not, you can relate it here. Any story or information is welcome as long as it relates to Our Lady of the Angels school fire.
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Posted by: Kenneth Lichon On: 9/26/2002 ID: 2
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 7 blocks away
The worst for me was carrying the casket of my best friend, John David Trotta. The day of the fire shut off my emotions until this day. When I learned of the courage of the men and women who went to the windows to get my friends out, my mind was fixed on one thing: If I ever had a family, there would be no locks on the doors, no doors that I could not overcome and nothing on earth that would keep me from my children.

We have five children and 6 grandchilren and there are no inside locks on our doors, no doors that I cannot get through and nothing on this earth that prevents me from getting to my children if I need to.

The fact that I could not get to my friends and help them has made my life one of helping and sharing whatever I can with my family and friends because you never know when they will not be ...... there.

When John David's casket was lowered into the ground, a very special part of my life ended and the nightmares began ... and still come back.

I wish I had not learned of this site .....


Posted by: OLAFire Webmaster On: 9/21/2002 ID: 1
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Colorado
In 1958, I was about the same age as the children at OLA. Although I was only dimly aware of the catastrophy at the time, I remember staring for hours at a huge fire prevention poster in a local storefront window. The poster was the famous Steve Lasker photo of Chicago fireman Richard Scheidt carrying a dead little boy, 10-year-old John Jajkowski, from the ravaged school (this picture is in the photo gallery). I remember being moved by the poster: the boy was my age, the school was of very similar construction to my school - basically, a fire trap. That could have been ME in the poster! For years after that, I would often fantasize about being a fireman and rescuing my friends from my burning school. In fact years later, for a time, I became a volunteer fireman.

Over the years I have thought about that poster quite often, and wished I knew more about the circumstances behind it. Then I discovered the excellent book "To Sleep With the Angels" by Cowan and Kuenster, and at last I knew the story. When I found there were no web sites devoted strictly to the OLA fire, I decided to build this one.