The first Waco memorial was held on April 19, 1994–precisely one year after the Tragic Fire in which 74 men, women, and children burned to death. Although memorials have been held each year–including this year of 2024–there will never be another like this one. The surviving Branch Davidians who were not in jail were present, many media outlets both national and international, and the late Ron Engleman, of KGBS Radio, did a wonderful job of introducing the speakers and giving his own vital story of involvement along the way. On that sad day a series of expert speakers offered their analysis of the tragedy–including Drs. Tabor and Arnold at the end. The Mt Carmel Center was of course devastated and largely abandoned, but that gathering, one year to the day from the horrible Fire, was a poignant memory for all of us. In this rare archive footage you will hear all the presentations made from the stage, with a quite remarkable collective analysis so close to the horrors of that day.
Whether you have vivid memories of that Fateful Day–or were too young to remember or perhaps not even born in 1993–this entire 1:50 minute program is well worth watching from start to finish.
Please see my Youtube playlist “Waco Tragedy after 30 Years,” for much more, including footage of David Koresh and his followers in interviews. I especially recommend the “Last Words of David Koresh.”
For my own account and a full detailed academic and historical analysis see my book, co-authored with Eugene Gallagher, Why Waco? Cults and the Battle of Religious Freedom in America.
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