Then and Now

Jerry Guthrie was on that playground the day the planes collided. He suffering only shock, minor burns and burned off hair and cuts from metal fragments.

A neighbor found him wandering down the street crying and took him home to his mom who had just had a hysterectomy. His Dad drove him to the hospital. His parents were ill advised to sign off liability with Douglas aircraft for a small settlement.

Now he is in his early 60's, Still has bad dreams and suffers from mental anguish which he believes is caused from the experience of the things he saw that day.

January 31, 1957 is a day I will never forget. We were on the gym field just coming in from playing softball when we noticed a plane that looked like it was about to land on the field. We all turned and started to run from the plane when it exploded into a million pieces. The death and destruction was unbelievable. My sister was attending Terra Bella

St School right next to the gym field. We lived just a few blocks from the school, my mother raced to the school to see what she could do to help. It was amazing there were not more deaths and injuries with the

number of children in the area at the time of the crash. I had both feet broken however; I continued to walk off the field in a daze. I still remember my coach running on to the field in the middle of the disaster doing what he could to save his students. They say time healsall however this day has stayed with me all of my life. I thank GOD for

all of the support I received during that time.

Robert "Bob" Curry

My name is Gene Loiselle. What a flood of emotion and memories to see all these faces and names after all this time. I was with Bob Zallen that day, we were playing baseball on the first field by the elementary school, the bell rang and that's when we saw the plane coming at us, we took off together he was about 10' behind me when the plane exploded. Never saw him again. Other kid's were already running , they must have seen the plane before we did. The worst part was that I saw Bob's sister after a while, she asked if I Bob was all right, I told her he was O.K. He wasn't. I didn't know. I thought he was O.K

Evan and I were in the boy scouts together, his father ran the troop, he lived close to me. Lots of kids in the article that I knew. Really brings back memories. What a bad day that was.

Graduated from San Fernando High 1962. Married in 1963, girl from Sylmar. Pat O'temba Still married, the love of my life. Two children, son 40 yrs old, daughter 38 yrs. 3 granddaughters oldest 17 yrs. 14, and 12.

I retired in 1999 from L.A.D.W.P. Moved to Payson in 2001. Small town , A lot different than L.A. We lived in the Valley for a while than moved to Simi Valley until I retired.

The year I retired I was driving by Pacoima Jr., the gates were open because they were painting. I was driving a city car ,made a u turn and went out on the field. Looks different as an adult, still was a lot of emotion even than.

Drove by the school on the frwy on the way home and always saw the patch in the asphalt, always made me think of that day. The state finally put up the sound wall so I didn't see it, but never forgot that day.

I went to the office area, no staff at the school. Looked around and was surprised at no memorial for the students that lost there lives.

Gene Loiselle

I was one of the fortunate one's who survived ....I was in a music class when all the girls started screaming and I didn't know why until the loud boom ....Heard the noise of a plane but just thought it was a low flying plane as usual....(Burbank Airport)......We all went outside and saw all the grafitty in the air about 2oo ft .....then went home with about a dozen others and saw nothing of the playground....afterwards heared all about it from friends....

I knew Evan Elsner we had played the summer before on Beachy Ave. Elimentary softball team and he was one of the better players. also was friends with Ray LaFiniere....He now works in Vegas as floor, what do you call them, behind the dealers....There's others who were

on the playground that day that I been friends with all my life but two have passed on.....Albert W.Arias '97, Vance Proctor 2005, .......Mauricio Rosas now lives in Carson City, Nev.....Alfredo Rico , Last I heared he moved to Simi Valley from Palmdale..., use to play alot of golf with him

but then he quit......and my best friend, Joe Nitti.. moved to the Chicago area back in '68

Freddie Rosales

I was on the field when the plane crashed and i think about it quite often, i knew all the kids that were killed and Even Elsner and i went to the same church school. Merilyn Zallen and i were in one class together, and from what i heard the only way that she knew that it was her brother, was a piece of his shirt that they found on the play ground, he was hit by one of the engines and driven into the asphalt.

I saw the picture of Terry Brown on your website, and when i saw him at my class reunion he couldn't remember how he got hurt in the plane crash, well i told him that i was running next to him when he got hit in the back of the head.

Richard Williams class of 1959

Like many other students at the time, I had my personal trauma for years (nightmares of planes exploding and crashing, severe anxiety and panic attacks, total withdrawal towards the end of 1957 to the point of dropping out of school for a semester, etc.) In my 40’s I went through several years of counseling with an excellent Christian psychologist. There were other factors, but certainly the plane crash had a major impact on my life. I was never totally sure of what was “real memory” and what were remnants of all the nightmares. I had tried to find out the actual date of the event, but was never successful…..now I know.

I had been out sick with the flu. I had tried to return to school that morning, but was still coughing and the school nurse wouldn’t let me back in. I was at home (about a mile away from the school in Arleta) sitting at our small kitchen table and looking out the window when I saw the explosion in the sky. I was in the 9th grade, Richie Valens was in my class as well as Rodney Ballou, the brother of Albert Ballou. I always felt disconnected from my classmates who were at school that day—like I didn’t have a right to feel traumatized.

When I read the part of the article about what you were doing, the tears started rolling down my cheeks and my first though was “I am not the only one. Someone else shared the same experience.” My tears were simply sadness for the young girls we were to suffer such an experience.

It is too bad there never was any real memorial, and sad that it never was something talked about much. Things are so much different today since there is always counseling available—but it seems there are a greater number of such tragic events every year.

My husband and I are both retired now and will be married 38 years.

Connie (Cramblett) Fergus

I was also a victim of the Pacoima air crash. My name is John Victorino. I was fortunate enough to be transferred to Encino Hospital where two young surgeons fought to save my leg that the other doctors thought would need to be amputated.

John Victorino

I was there 50 years ago... walking with my good pal Evan Elsner. That

moment ..that experience has always been with me..It was amazing that all of us 7th graders weren't killed. The debris...the fuel..the fire...what a horrific experience for a 12 year old. I remember thinking to myself as the plane came closer and closer "can't believe I only lived to be 12!!!"

Took me many years to get on a plane ... With only minor burns and my clothes destroyed the insurance company came to my home and had my parents sign - off for 50$!!

Howard Wang

I myself witnessed the two planes colliding while in gym class at South Pasadena Junior High School while the coach was trying to teach us to do jumping jacks. A friend and I were starring up into the air at the same time the two aircraft collided and followed the grayish smoke down as the planes descended. Upon impact there was a flash of reflected metal and when we told the coach he just thought we were trying to loaf. That afternoon the news was out and confirmed our sighting. It was the first tragic event that I had witnessed and probably had something to do with my life's course.

I worked for the South Pasadena Fire Department and retired as Fire Chief after 28 years of service, and taught fire classes at Pasadena City College and Rio Hondo Collage for a combined 23 years. I also own an airplane and still fly every so often. My father owned a small airplane at the time of the crash, so that might have had something to do with my watching the airplanes when they came together. I have told many people of the event but unless you witnessed it it doesn't have the impact. My eldest sister went on to becoming an airline stewardess and married a pilot and resides in Florida, she became one in 1960 and worked many years for National Airlines. During my Fire career, I dealt with many tragedies and finally realized that the post traumatic stress of these events are life long and sometimes have to be dealt with professionally.

William R. Eisele

Fire Chief South Pasadena, CA.

Retired

I was one the girls that had just come off the gym field and was filing into the gym to go to my next class.

All I know for sure is, when a plane sounds like it is over my building or anywhere I am, it brings me right back to that day instantly and start to

panic. After all these years, it still affects me.

Leslie Pierce (Kramer)

I was there. We lived about three blocks from the school. The girls had just been called in from the field and were in the locker room. That is probably why no girls names were mentioned.

To this day when I hear aplane overhead, if inside, I go out and look up to make sure it is still in the sky.

I really remember nothing of that day other than we were in the locker

room. It must be the sound that I subconciously remember. I knew Rodney and Albert Ballou and Terry Brown. I did see Orland Salazar about 5 years ago. I believe he lives in the Santa Monica area. I really don't remember what happened. What comes to mind is that a plane crashed on the gym field and the pilot was killed.

Anna Marie Manocchio (Chesley)

I am the wife of Albert Pardo. My husband passed away 10-12-2005 due to he was ill, if my husabnd was still here i know down deep in my heart he would have LOVED to talk or see someone that he had went through this tragdy with. Al (Albert) offen spoke about the crash. That was something he had never forgotten.

Mary Jane Pardo

I was attending Sun Valley Junior High at the time this event occurred. I was sitting on bleachers with two or three of my friends eating lunch when somebody pointed to the sky and we saw the DC7 plummeting straight down and after impact we could see a huge cloud of black smoke. And then someone else pointed to the sky and we watched the F86 crash in the foothills and again a large cloud of smoke. And then someone once again pointed to the sky and we watched the parachute of the F86 radar crewmember float to earth. The crewman and his parachute landed maybe two blocks from my school and we could almost watch him all the way to the ground. I remember that we all sat there trying to believe what we had just seen.

I also remember seeing a young man, and I think it was at Poly High where I attended high school who's face and other portions of his body were very heavily scarred from burns. I didn't know him, buy somebody told me he received his burns at Pacoima Junior High when the plane crash occurred.

Even though I was not immediately involved as were so many of you folks, it is something I will never forget.

Randal Luse

I was at Pacoima Jr. High as a B7 student on that sad day. You can check any school annual of that year and you will find a picture of a skinny little kid who was still growing into adulthood. That is me. I have tears in my eyes as I write this letter to you.

I knew all the kids, of course some better than other, but I knew them all. The photo of Evan Elsnor, who was a 'best friend' from Beachy Avenue Elementary School. We were in the Boy Scouts together. Our troop attended his funeral in full Boy Scout uniforms. I cried too hard that day. Nabor Jaramillo was also another one of my grade school chums. Have not seem him since high school. He was at one school I was at another. Another student that I was close with through high school was Vito Galasso. We graduated from Alemany High School in '62. He under the the name of Mike Galasso.

Life has gone on for me and I have been blessed to have raised a beautiful family and have been comfortably succesful enough to have lived a good life. I have a beautiful wife, four sons and a beautiful daughter . They have given me fourteen grandchildren. What more can a man ask of his

life.

Yet with all the success and grand family there is a part of me that lives with the sounds, smell and harsh reality that when the Lord wants you, and you are called you can only do one thing...and answer the CALLING.

Once again, please excuse the tears and the anxiety but these feeling are buried down so deep that this life will not release me from the youthful memories of my school day friends.

Art Melendez

I was going to San Fernando HS when the crash occurred, and remember it well.

Vito Galasso is living in Sylmar, California. He's been married to a friend of my wife's for years.

Doug Hamilton

San Fernando HS S58'

I was a little girl in Cleveland, Ohio in 1957. I will never forget that day, probably February 1, 1957, when my mother opened the Cleveland Plain Dealer, saw the headline and photos and ran next door to the neighbors' crying. Bobby Zallan was my cousin and it was the first my mother had heard about the terrible plane crash over the Pacoima Middle School playground. Communications were different in those days, not like today. I don't remember much more than that, but recall running to hide when airplanes flew overhead for a long while after that.

To this day I'm uneasy when I see an airplane flying over a playground

Fern Zalin Jones

(in the Old Country the family name was Zalinsky--some of the brothers changed the name to Zallan to keep the correct pronunciation but a couple brothers just dropped the "sky" when they came to this country.)

I was a 7 year old student at Terra Bella Elementary right next to it. The images and memories are still vivid to this day.

Skip Hansen

Hi Joan....I recently got together with David Gonzales, and Karl Fox in Las Vegas where Karl Fox lives. Karl went to Beach Ave. School and Pacoima Jr. with me. He was out in the gym field when the plane crashed. David also went to Pacoima jr., he was there but was not out on the field. We were all in the same grade. Karl lived one block from me and across the street from Ronnie Brann, Ronnie and Karl were close friends. I was on the gardening area (which was right next to the gym field) me and the students were outside checking on our plants or doing something like that. When one of my classmates pointed up in the air and said there's a plane on fire. We all looked up and saw this huge plane with smoke and fire coming from it. Being young kids we thought it was funny, it looked to me like something I saw in a movie, it didn't look real. Well it wasn't funny anymore when the plane all of a sudden started coming down toward us. If I remember right we all start running around in a circle, we just didn't know were to run, I didn't know if it was going to hit us or what. The next thing I knew it seemed like the plane was right on top of us, but it went over us on the gym field. Mr. Smith was our Gardening teacher, and after the plane crashed Mr. Smith told us kids to go inside the class room, and stay under our desks. Mr. Smith left us along as he went out in the gym field to help who ever he could. Well he never came back we were there for maybe and hour or so. What the school did was set up everything on the A-9 Court. Nobody knew what kids were hurt or killed, it was such a mess. So they marched all the kids they could on the stage of the A-9 Court so the parents could claim their kid. Of course I knew Ronnie Brann, he lived so close to me. I wasn't that close to Bob Zallan but I did know him. Evan Elsner I knew very well, we were in Beach ave. School and Pacoima Jr. together.

I'm retired now and live in Mesa , Arizona..I was married for over 30 years, and five years ago my wife died of cancer. But she did leave me with 6 kids and 10 grandkids, and that kind of keeps me busy.

Nabor Jaramillo

Nabor Jaramillo

Thoughts from that day....Then and now

I was there that day also, in the auditorium practicing for graduation. Merilyn Zallan was in one of my classes , but I did not know her brother. John Sain was one of my friends, and we all went to visit him at the hospital in Sun Valley, but I have not seen him since we graduated from JHS. It's hard to believe that next year will be the 50th anniversary of the crash. It seems like only yesterday, as many of the memories are still fresh my mind.

Robert Overholtzer

I am the daughter of the late Albert Pardo. I can remember my father telling me about the horrible accident, but at that time I was so young and really didn't pay much attention. I do remember him telling me that he can recall alot of screaming and kids running all over the place. My father was unconscious for about 2 weeks.

Now, among the injured was also my uncle Harold Gallardo, who introduced my father to my mother. Uncle Harold suffered 2nd degree burns to his hands and had a steel rod inserted into his right leg.

Uncle Harold never married, lives in Los Angeles, Ca and has been an Instructor for Cosmetology for as long as I can remember.

Dorenha Torres

I want to thank Nabor, for helping me with the yearbook pictures.

Now

I was home that day with a cold. I remember sitting on the couch, in my living room. I heard the loud sound of a plane that seemed to be coming down. Looking out the large window, that faced my backyard, I was shocked to see the large wing of a plane about to crash through my window! It missed the window and moved away from view. Moments later it touched down and crashed on our school playground. Going to school the next day, I was in the middle of the trauma, my friends were stressed and my girlfriend's brother had died in the crash.

I will never forget that day. Today when I hear the sound of a plane, I listen , I remember.

Barbara Joan Gushin

Barbara Joan Gushin

I was not born at the time of the Pacoima Air Crash. I have a friend I met online who was there and mentioned it a long time ago. I recently found your site, and I'm so grateful you created a memorial of sorts for the survivors to speak about that horrific experience. It has always saddened me that there was no memorial to the three boys who died, the many who were injuried physically, and the many more who were injuried emotionally.

As a young child, I lived over the flight path of a major airport. I remember very early fearing those planes as they flew above our home. I was lucky, my worst nightmares at that young age were never realized. From your site, I have learned what it could have been like to have witnessed and survived such a nightmare. I can't imagine the 50 years of fear and sorrow and despair that you and your classmates have lived with.

Joan I am so sorry for the horror you've lived with. Ronnie, Bobby and Evan I am so sorry for not only the terror you felt as young boys running for their lives, but also for the loss of those young lives. And lastly, to all the survivors: the friends, family and classmates I am truely sorry that such a tragedy took away so much from you. I can't imagine how it would be to be a child and survived such horror. I have children of my own, I know it would be devastating.

I had considered starting a website as a memorial for all of you, but now that Joan has created one, I will honor you and the memory of your fallen classmates by leaving this message.

I hope for peace for all of you.

lisa reynolds

Since it was one of the last days of the school year noone was dressed in there gym clothes. The girls had been called off the P.E. field and us boys were goofing around. Somebody said, " look at that airplane", and as I turned I saw a plane flying in an unusual way. As I watched, the plane

turned and headed straight down towards the playground. Someone yelled "It is coming towards us"! I began to run, and I remember thinking, I am going to die.

The plane exploded overhead and I was knocked unconscience. When I regained consciousness, I saw a scene that I can only describe as hell on earth. A guy was running on fire. I remember him saying,"Who is doing this to me". I saw a kid with his eye dangling from the socket and he was holding it in his hand. As looked down at my leg I saw that the left leg of my white pants was soaked in blood.

I was transported to Sun Valley Hospital, but I don't remember how. There wasn't enough emergency vehicles so parents transported injured students to the hospital. Everyone came together and helped. The hospital was total chaos. The hallway was full of boys waiting for treatment. Distraught parents were searching frantically for there children. I will never forget Ronnie Brann's mother hysterically searching for Ronnie, and hearing her bloodcurdling scream when she was told of his death.

I was so happy to see my dad arrive. Gurneys and stretchers were not available, so my dad carried me to the operating room. He stayed with me while the doctors stitched the wounds on my leg.

The hospital stay was fun. I was there about a week. Friends and family visited and classmates were my roommates. We had wheelchair races in the hallways, and played games. Being with those who shared this experience was therapeutic for me.

My physical wounds healed quickly, but the emotional scars took longer. I had bad nightmares for a long time. I hope everybody who was there on that tragic day has put all that trauma behind them, and has had a good life. It has been almost 50 years since the crash. It is time for us to all get together and have a reunion and share our experiences. I hope everyone can see Joans site and remember what we went through.

Thank You for taking the time to put this on your site. You are the only person who has taken the time to acknowledge this tragic incident. I really appreciate it.

God Bless,

Fred Harold Tait

Fred Harold Tait

Click on the picture: Watch this video I created for you. It brings a hope for the future.

I went to Tera Bella elementary and was right next to the window when this crash occured and witnessed it all My older brother Gary was out on the field when this occured and sustained burns and broken ribs.

Gary is doing ok physically, mentally I cannot speak for him. I know that this incident caused me quite a bit of trauma because of the time frame. We were in a very real "Cold war" and were on edge and this just multiplied the end result as far as Trauma.

We lived exactly RIGHT next door to the Gym Field on 13488 Terra Bella which is now some kind of Condo complex and then we moved across the street to 13505 Terra Bella. Attended San Fernando High ( when not going to Poly and Monroe for discipline).

I will say that our 1 acre was a total mess after the crash and the FAA spent about 1 week sifting through our property and there were seats and part of a door laying there along with a ton of seat stuffing and fabrics and a lot of fragmented metal parts.

Wayne William Powell

I went to Pacoima Junior High and would have been out in P.E. went the plane came down on my cousins and friends, lucky for me that day I stay home, My mother and myself saw when the planes collided and came right over our house, my aunt lived at 9861 Sharp St. and had an Impeller impell into a home three houses away. I lived at 13136 Goleta St. Pacoima,

The only teacher that I remember from Pacoima Jr. High was Mr Inaba science teacher, I remember

going with my parents to Sun Vlly Hospital looking for my cousin Sergio Diaz who had wounds on his elbows.

Gus Torres

My name is Bob Funkhouser and was a good friend of Ronnie Brann. We were standing next to each other when we saw the plane. He ran one way and I another. Wish he had followed me. I was unhurt, but found him on basketball court afterwards. Wish I had never seen what happened to him. I was a pall bearer at his funeral.

Bob Funkhouser

My name is Marsha Prieto and I was in grammar school when the plane went down on the field of Pacoima Jr. High. We were lining up on the steps of Mrs. Masters class when we heard the planes in the air. When we looked up, all we saw were the parts of the planes coming down and what looked like silver glitter all over the sky. Mrs. Master took us in our room and had us go under our desks thinking we were being bombed. My brother Allen and my cousin Ed Prieto were at Eds sisters graduation practice and were not on the field at the time. My Godfather, Eds Dad, saw what happened and put on his uniform, he was a policeman, got on his motorcycle and went to the scene. He was the first one there and was helping. He said it was a sight he would never forget. I knew Albert and Alex Pardo and was very sorry to hear of Alberts passing. When I saw the article in the paper a few weeks ago, I could not believe it was that long ago. Thank you for posting this website, we should never forget the pain of that day.

Marsha Prieto

I was on the playing field when we saw the plane coming toward the school. It took a few seconds to register that it was going to crash.We could see debris coming from the back of the plane and the

pilot waving his arms for us to run. I have never run so fast in my life. I could feel the pieces from the plane hitting my back but not knocking me down. I hit the fence at full force like I was trying to go through it. As I lay there I could fell the pieces hitting all around me. When it was over I got up and tried to find my way out of the smoke and fire. I helped a fellow student who had a cut on the

back of his leg. Together we passed by the basketball courts and tennis courts. I can still remember the kids injured on the ground pleading for help.When my Dad picked me up at school and took me home he asked me how I was. I told him I was fine. The next morning I was stiff and sore, I remember looking in the mirror and asking my sister to look at my back. It was completely purple and my head was covered with bumps. To this day I consider myself extremely lucky after seeing all those kids that were burned and injured.I remember Evan who sat in front of me in Home Room. Bob was in my gardening class.

Rudy Gallegos

Hi my name is George Sanders. Both my dad and my uncle went to Pacoima jr. High at the time of the plane crash . My dad was on the gym field when the planes crashed and hit the school. My dad’s name is Gary Everett Sanders and my uncle was named Howard Wayne Sanders. My uncle passed away a few years ago. My dad is still alive and tells me about the crash. I’m 29 years old. My dad says he was on the gym field playing softball and they were about to come in after the bell when they looked up and saw and heard the collision in the air. And my dad said he watched the plane come down, my dad said he was blown back and hit the ground and he was laying on the ground next to the engine that smashed into the asphalt and was sticking out of the ground and my dad was laying in engine fuel and grease about a inch thick and burned on his arms and his clothes. He said he was soaked in airplane fuel from top to bottom and he was sliding and he landed near the engine. he lost his shoe and he remembers getting up and walking to class not knowing if it was his class he wore glasses and he was in a daze and then going to the hospital but not knowing how he got there .he said he was in the hospital about a day and a half. My dad knows the story better then I do. My dad looked at the website and remembered some of the people. He knew Albert Ballou , My dad knew a few people who was hurt on the field. My dad thought that there was a girl who got injured like losing her arm or got paralyzed and that she never came back to school. Or something like that. And he remembers one girl who got blown back and wrapped around a fence .I don’t know for sure I’d have to ask for more details. My dad’s memory is pretty good about the crash and the area of Pacoima because he’s from there. Well I thought I’d let you know I enjoyed your site and my dad looked at it. And it brought back memories. So I thought I would write you. And let you know I enjoyed it and I learned a lot. after my dad looked at it we talked for a while and it’s interesting. Well thanks for the history.

George Sanders