To The Editor:

This year marks the 80th anniversary of one of the worst train crashes in U.S. history, and it happened here in Robeson County.

As a 9-year-old, at the time, and after all the carnage had been removed, my Dad took me to that site.

The memory still lingers in my mind each year around this time as we begin to celebrate Christmas. I suppose it’s due to my own life of more than 20 years in military service, and the fact that 48 service members lost their life in that tragedy.

It was night, Dec. 16, 1943, when our country was at war. A speeding train headed north was filled with what appeared to be mostly northern state travelers going home for Christmas. Of the occupants of two trains, 72 of them would not make it. More than 200 would be injured.

Ahead of this train and unknown to its engineer — and blocking the tracks — was the tail-end wreckage of another northbound train that had derailed. Some of the passengers exited the derailed cars, and moved away from the tracks, starting a fire for warmth since a light snow had fallen. An unsuccessful attempt was made to signal the next scheduled train heading north on the same track. Not being able to stop, the result was the loss of many lives.

A break-down of military lives lost included the following: Army, 32; Navy, 14; Marine, two; others, 24. There were eight man-and-wife couples and one couple with a seven-week-old baby girl.

Time and memory had left doubt in my mind as to the location of this tragedy, so about 10 years ago a dear and older friend who is no longer with us, showed me the area where the crash occurred. I believe that was in the 65th anniversary year, when a make-shift marker was erected in memory of those who died. I feel confident that marker was seen for sometime, by passing trains after it was alongside the tracks.

My home is within hearing distance of trains crossing, and at night — for several nights — the low mournful sound I heard assured me an engineer was saying, “Rest in Peace.”

Lewis E. Bruce

Lumberton