Recollections
Glenda G. Stanley The school explosion happened before I was born. Nobody talked about it, until one day my Grandmother and I were looking at pictures and I saw a picture of Jack Nail. My Grandmother was the sister of Jack's Father. This is the story she told me.
from an email
Robert Nail with his wife Ada and three children had just moved from Electra Texas to New London Texas. Jack was not happy about the move and leaving his friends. He was rebelling a lot. Robert bought him a pair of paratrooper boots he wanted, hoping it would help him adjust to the move. Jack was 14 years old so nobody knows why he was there.
When Robert heard about the school he went over to help find the children. After a while he went to the building where they were putting the children's bodies. He saw one of Jack's boots under the edge of a white sheet. He walked over and put his hand on the boot, and Jack's leg fell off. They never found all of Jack's remains.
My Grandmother said that between the day of the explosion ant the day of the funeral Roberta's hair turned totally white. She said it was like over night. He had the most beautiful white hair I had ever seen. Nobody would talk about it when Robert, Ada Buford or Bobbie were around. They did not say much when they were not around ether.
