BATH TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Bath Township neighbors gathered Monday to honor the victims of the Bath School bombing on the 99th anniversary of the May 18, 1927 attack.
- Bath Township neighbors gathered Monday to mark the 99th anniversary of the May 18, 1927 Bath School bombing.
- The attack killed 45 people, including 38 students, and remains the deadliest school attack in American history.
- Descendants of victims and survivors say they are committed to keeping the memory alive as the 100th anniversary approaches.
WATCH: Bath Township marks 99th anniversary of Bath School bombing
45 people were killed, including 38 students, 6 adults, and the attacker. Nearly 60 others were injured. The attack, carried out by a former school board member who detonated explosives planted inside the building, remains the deadliest school attack in American history.
Susan Hagerman, Bath School Museum Committee president, said her father was 9-years-old and in the third grade when the explosion occurred.
"He was in Miss Weatherby's class. She was reading the kids a story that morning when it happened and the floor came up and the ceiling came down on top of everybody," Hagerman said.
Hagerman said her father suffered a broken leg in the explosion. Three of his siblings were also inside the school that morning.
"There were 38 children between the ages of 6 and 13 that were killed, deliberately," Hagerman said.
Bath School Museum Committee secretary Michelle Allen said her uncle was killed in the explosion. Her father and two of his siblings survived after being inside the school that day.
"It's just part of my family's history. It's part of us. It's something that I don't want forgotten. I don't want it glorified, I don't want it blown out of proportion, I just don't want it forgotten," Allen said.
Both Allen and Hagerman said their fathers rarely spoke about what happened until later in life. Hagerman said one turning point came when a documentary about the tragedy was shown at the school.
"Watched it with my dad knowing when he was nine years old he went through that. And it was after that the survivors started talking a little bit more," Hagerman said.
"Our dads went through horror, and they didn't talk about it. And years later, finally, it started coming out," Allen said.
Now, with every survivor having passed away and the 100th anniversary approaching next year, both women said it is important their stories continue to be shared.
"It made us who we are today. The survivors were strong and resilient. We grew up knowing that and we're strong and resilient yet today," Hagerman said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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