Witness to Miracles, Remembering the Cokeville Elementary School Bombing

by Cokeville Miracle Foundation

On May 16, 1986 a man and a woman entered the elementary school in the tiny rural town of Cokeville, Wyoming with guns and a homemade bomb. Taking 154 people hostage they demanded over three hundred million dollars in ransom. Then the bomb exploded and what happened next can only be described as a miracle. The Cokeville Miracle Foundation presents nearly 200 stories from those who were there-teachers, students, families, emergency personnel and investigators who share their recollections of that unforgettable afternoon, many for the first time, and how it has affected their lives.

Genres: Nonfiction

536 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Vanessa]

I started this book years ago but it was overdue at the library. It must have been time to sell because I never could check it out again. So I bought the ebook, but life happens and I never finished it. I finally did. I was so moved by this story and have been inspired by the miracle snd the way people were inspired to do things that day.

[Lindsey]

I have a friend who was there. She recommended this book. It’s so interesting and inspiring.

[Michelle Llewellyn]

This is a hard book to read. Not just because of the 180 (yes I counted) personal stories submitted and published in this compilation recounting that horrible day, Friday, May 16, 1986, when a terrorist bomb went off in a rural elementary school after a three hour hostage situation but because it's a thick, dense, 515 page paperback book. Some of these eyewitness accounts are just a few sentences long, others take several pages. Many of the same details are repeated: two people with a bomb entered Cokeville Elementary, the bomb went off, and for good or ill, everyone suffered the consequences. What makes this book worth reading are the more personal eyewitness accounts that include powerful testimonies of all the miracles and blessings the survivors experienced that day.
Brad Shane Nate (p. 171) is one of those. A fifth grade student at the time, Brad, (who is also LDS) tells of feeling a very strong presence walk through the classroom where everyone was being held hostage. He knows it was a Heavenly Being of greater influence than an angel. He also clearly remembers sitting by the window (after being prompted to go there) holding a puzzle piece, chatting with his best friend when, for no explainable reason, his hand released that piece just before the bomb went off. The force of the blast knocked Brad out the window and he was spared serious injury. Just one of the many miracles that occurred that day.
These stories are divided into four sections: "Survivors and School Stories" "Emergency Workers" "Parents and Spouses of Survivors" and "All the Rest." There's a handful of black and white snapshots and an index that only lists survivors names in alphabetical order. While it could've used a little more organization, (Because, come on, you know we just want the angel stories!) these testimonies will leave you convinced that God and angels are real. A good companion book to "The Cokeville Miracle: When Angels Intervene" another nonfiction book I reviewed where I lament more personal stories should've been included. This book fills that void. It is worth reading. And don't forget to see the movie!

[Sandy]

Not literature, just a rough collection of memories submitted by many of those involved in this horrific, yet sacred, event. Especially interesting to me because I know several of these people personally, and because I am always amazed how a single event -- even a single moment -- can change everything about one's life, forever.

[Louise Hartvigsen]

This is a compilation of first hand accounts of people who lived through the Cokeville Wyoming bombing. I didn't read every entry in this book, but most of them. I thought the movie of this event was excellent. These are the writings of the real people involved and are very varied-in length, detail and quality. I appreciate the effort to compile this book.

[Ramona]

This is a wonderful compilation of first-hand account memories of this extraordinary event. Each time I read a new letter, I'd be surprised at how many times I'd tear up as each different account would stir the emotions in my heart. I believe in miracles!

[Carolyn]

Inspiring! Every person's account was so interesting to me. Students, teachers, parents, siblings, EMT workers, police officers, nurses, etc. were the ones to submit their stories of that traumatic, yet miraculous, day of May 16th, 1986 in Cokeville, WY.

[Jess Clark]

A nice compilation of memories. It will be quite useful in my research project.