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  New London Texas school Explosion
  In Memory of the ones who perished And those who survived
 
 
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  Discrepancies And Errors  
     
  Periodically we receive email from visitors to this site regarding misspellings, typos, etc. These communications are an integral part of this web site and help us provide the most accurate information possible. Sometimes we run into a snag, and a few of these snags are addressed here.

Mother Frances Hospital
Throughout the site, you may see the name of the hospital as Mother Francis. This occurs not only in personal information we have received but in newspaper articles. This Website does not edit items written by others (unless specifically asked to do so). However, the correct name of the hospital was Mother Frances Hospital and it is now part of the Trinity Mother Frances Health System.

Barksdale Air Force Base
Although Bossier City (Bossier Parish) and Shreveport (Caddo Parish) both "claim" Barksdale AFB, history has generally recognized it as being in Shreveport although the physical boundaries of the base itself lie within Bossier Parish. The dedication of Barksdale Field took place on February 2, 1933. Shortly after the USAF became an independent branch of service, Barksdale Field was renamed Barksdale Air Force Base on January 13, 1948. The geographical location has not changed, and it has its own postal zip code.
 
 
     
  Technical Data  
     
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  Over the years people have always asked what his connection is to the site and why he has one about the New London School Explosion. Although the answers are available on his site, the following is a concise explanation.

His father, William N. Grigg, Sr. was in the fifth grade when the explosion took place, and his son (William N. Grigg, Jr., nicknamed Possie at birth) has always been aware of it. Although the subject wasn't discussed in detail for many years, Possie always found himself drawn to the facts surrounding the event: before, during, and after.

His uncle Horace was a junior at the time and survived but was severely injured. His uncle Edwin, in seventh grade, did not. Information about the three brothers is available here and William and Horace are featured in the Recollections Section.

When people began using the internet as a source of information, Possie saw the World Wide Web as an excellent way to pay tribute to those who died as well as those who survived. He wasn't interested in writing a book, giving lectures, or engaging in any financially rewarding schemes. He only wanted to share the information with those who might not be aware of this historically tragic event in American History. The NLSE.ORG web site was born.

Today Possie is in his early forties, and lives in Arkansas in order to be close to his parents and take care of them. He once stated, "I will never let them be put in a nursing home or left to fend for themselves, as some children do with their folks."

His father is, and always has been, his hero, and after graduation Possie wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps and work in the oilfields. He worked offshore on a drilling rig and then went to New Mexico to work on a land drilling rig. Among his major employers were Halliburton and B.J. Hughes Cementing Services. When the oilfields in New Mexico began shutting down, he went to Pennsylvania and New York to work in the oilfields there and got into the hauling of heavy oilfield equipment. When those oilfields closed he became a long distance (coast to coast) truck driver and did that for about fourteen years.

He retired in 1996 which is when he moved to Arkansas. He says that his retirement days are every bit as full as his working days and he enjoys many activities in addition to the web site. Woodworking and the restoration of old cars are two of them. Photographs of some of the furniture he has built can be seen on the web.

He has also become a "computer junkie" and enjoys chatting online as well as surfing the web.

The above excerpt was taken from an introductory presentation to fire department chiefs with modifications for inclusion on this site.
 
     
  Personal Note  
     
  This site is the culmination of many years of work, and is by no means complete. My quest for additional information is a daily one and this site is updated often. It is a labor of love, dedicated not only to those who lost their lives and those who survived this tragic event, but to my dad who gave me the original inspiration and guidance.

I am indebted to each and every person who provided personal accounts, articles, and photographs. My goal is to be as comprehensive and accurate about the New London School Explosion and related subjects as possible. Thank you all for your invaluable assistance.

Although 72 years, 3 months, and 27 days have passed, we will never forget.
William N. Grigg, Jr.
 
     
 
 
 
   
   
     
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