On April 17, 1994, a "Day of Information" was held to commemorate the first anniversary of the Waco tragedy. This event was different from subsequent anniversary events. First, its date was moved up to fall on Sunday; in all later years it would be held on April 19th, regardless of the day of the week. Second, the survivors played less of a role in planning the event than in later years; the survivors decided that such things as the booths set up by political groups to sell their publications and philosophies were inappropriate, and began taking more control. Third, 1994 featured a higher proportion of academic speakers; as the years pass, it seems that it is the ideologically motivated who have the staying power to keep coming. Fourth, while this event was billed as a day for getting information out to the public, future commemorations would be presented as memorial services; this may or may not have tempered the emotional potential of the event. Two days later, a more private ceremony was held on the grounds, which would feature a reading of the names of the dead, the ringing of the replica Liberty Bell, and white crosses, which would be seen on future anniversaries.

I have made a table showing the speakers at this event, and the approximate time they began speaking, based on the three-tape set made by John Seydler. I have posted first draft transcripts of some of these speakers. Work on some of these transcripts was suspended where the speaker looked like he might have had a prepared text; these are marked with an asterisk.

These transcripts are first drafts. Asterisk [*] denotes incomplete transcript.
:05	Ron Engelman	former talk show host, KGBS Dallas
5:00	Ron Cole*	author, Sinister Twilight
28:45	Ron Engelman
32:05	Ken Fawcett*	author, Blind Justice
43:00	Ron Engelman
44:25	David Thibodeau	survivor, April 19
1:19:25	Ron Engelman
1:21:00	Harley Schlanger	bureau chief, Executive Intelligence Review
1:38:10	END of first tape
1:38:15	Ron Engelman
1:39:05	Dr. James Wood*	Baylor University
1:58:55	Ron Engelman
2:03:30	Dr. Ron Flowers	Texas Christian University
2:20:15	Ron Engelman
2:23:00	Dr. Tim Miller	Association of World Academics for Religious Education
2:28:35	Ron Engelman
2:29:05	Dr. Stuart Wright*	Lamar University
2:37:20	Ron Engelman
2:40:35	Dr. James Tabor	University of North Carolina- Charlotte
3:06:30	Ron Engelman
3:09:50	Dr. Phil Arnold	Reunion Institute
3:27:30	END of second tape
3:27:35	Ron Engelman
3:31:55	Kirk Lyons	CAUSE Foundation
4:03:05	Ron Engelman
4:10:25	Larry Pratt	Gun Owners of America
4:20:15	Ron Engelman
4:21:35	Gary Graham	candidate, governor of Texas
4:26:05	Ron Engelman
4:27:10	Michael Ray	songwriter
4:32:20	Greg	songwriter?
4:34:55	close
4:37:15	END of third tape

John Seydler's professionally-produced three-tape set is being sold by the Mt. Carmel Survivors Memorial Fund for $20 in video form and $15 in audiotape form (with donations for postage appreciated). The set has been discontinued and is available "while supplies last." They can be contacted at:

wacocult@yahoo.***

Guestbook

version:1/7/02