Saturday, September 19th, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Stories of Tragedy, Heroism, and Preparedness in the Texas City Disaster of 1947

Author Frank Urbanic joins us on Saturday for a meet & greet and book signing.

Most books written about the Texas City Disaster of 1947 fail to recognize the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who heroically responded to this disaster, braving choking fumes and dodging hot shrapnel from exploding fuel storage tanks. Scouts as young as twelve years old were involved in rescue efforts.

After a cargo ship loaded with 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded, officials responsible for disaster relief efforts immediately requested that Scouts be mobilized to provide emergency services. Scouts were called to help because it was known that they had achieved specifically needed skills through the merit badge program, they could be depended upon to obey orders, and that Scouts were trained to follow the Scout Motto, “Be Prepared.”

The book is illustrated with B&W photographs and is based upon interviews from Scouts and Scouters who answered the call to duty, official reports, media articles, and the author’s personal experiences.