I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I HAVE FOUND THIS SITE SO MANY YEARS AFTER THE FIRE. (12/20/08) I AM 72 YEARS OLD AND WAS 14 WHEN I WAS IN THE EIGHT GRADE. I WENT TO VISIT THE PASTOR OF OLA A FEW YEARS AFTER THE FIRE AND IT WAS ONE OF THE SADIST VISITS I EVER HAD. I CAME OUT OF WORK ON DECEMBER 1, 1958 AND SAW THE LOS ANGELES HEADLINES REGARDING A CHICAGO SCHOOL FIRE. WHEN OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS (OLA) NAME APPEARED I ALMOST LOST MY BREATH. I NOT ONLY WENT TO THAT SCHOOL WHEN I WAS A CHILD BUT I HAD MANY FRIENDS THAT STILL HAD SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN THE SCHOOL. AS SOON AS I GOT HOME I TRIED TO CALL ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IN CHICAGO. I COULDN'T GET THOUGH. ALL THE LINES WERE TIED UP ETC. WHEN I DID GET THROUGH, MY FRIEND TOLD ME THAT HER SIBLINGS WERE SAFE BECAUSE THE FAMILY HAD MOVED JUST ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE FIRE. SHE TOLD ME THAT OUR CLASSROOM WAS THE CLASSROOM THAT HAD THE MOST CASUALTIES. I REMEMBER THERE WAS A SMALL COURT YARD BEYOND THE SECOND FLOOR WINDOWS AND THIS IS WHERE MOST OF THOSE CHILDREN THAT FELL OR JUMPED LANDED. THIS WAS OUR 8TH GRADE CLASSROOM AND I KNEW IT QUITE WELL. MY HEART BREAKS WHEN I THINK OF WHAT HAPPENED, WHO IT INVOLVED, & WHO IT COULD HAVE INVOLVED. I KNOW THAT THE SARNO FAMILY LOST ONE CHILD IN THE FIRE (MAYBE MORE - I AM NOT SURE) THEY HAD MOVED TO HOLLYWOOD AND I REMEMBER SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR STORY BUT DON'T REMEMBER MOST OF THE THINGS IN THEIR STORY. I WENT TO THEIR RESTAURANT AT THE TIME (IN HOLLYWOOD) BUT CAN'T REMEMBER MUCH NOW. I DID NOT KNOW THEM THAT WELL WHEN I WAS IN CHICAGO BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY USE TO HAVE A GREAT PIZZA PLACE ON CHICAGO AVE. AS A MATTER OF FACT ONE OF THE LOST CHILDREN SHARED MY MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME (JO ANN CIOLINO) I WONDER IF WE WERE RELATED SOMEHOW? AT THE TIME THAT I WENT TO OLA (I GRADUATED IN 1950) I LIVED ON DRAKE AVE. IN LATER YEARS WHEN I WAS IN MY LATE TEENS, I LIVED RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM OLA. (ON HAMLIN AVE.) MY THINKING ABOUT THIS SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY YET IT IS OVER 58 YEARS AGO. I AM SO VERY GLAD I DID NOT KNOW ANY OF THE CHILDREN THAT WERE KILLED IN THE FIRE YET EVERYONE OF THEM MEANS SO MUCH TO ME. IT'S LIKE VIEWING MY OWN CLASSMATES WHEN SEEING THE ABOVE PHOTOS OF THE VICTIMS. I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW MY 8TH GRADE ROOM - MY 8TH GRADE TEACHER - MY 8TH GRADE CLASSMATES. THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I......
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