SOCIETY'S REACTION TO EARHART'S DISAPPEARANCE
On July 3, 1937, thousands of Americans woke up to tragic newspaper headlines stating that their beloved Amelia Earhart was lost. For the next ten days, information about the "sweetheart in the sky" was on front page of newspapers around the nation. The public turned to these newspapers, along with radios and movie theaters to hear and watch to ongoing search. Hearts were wrenched as ships and planes searched the vast Pacific and as the days passed on, a positive outcome seemed less and less likely. Since no body was ever found, people were unsure whether or no to print an obituary, but newspapers began running lengthy articles eulogizing her and many letters of consolation were sent to her family.
Earhart's family took great comfort in comments from letters sent as consoaltion post-disappearance, some statements even bringing them family to tears.
"We are stunned" -a Kentucky woman (7)
"I want to choke the Navy for not finding her... I feel she is alive and I know she needs us" -a 15 year old girl from CA (7)
"How can she just be gone" -a New Jersey woman (7)
"I have had people tell me I'm crazy to stay up all night listening to the radio about Amelia and they say Miss Earhart was nothing to me, but I loved Miss Earhart as if she were my own sister, because I know she is a kind and wonderful woman. There isn't another woman I worship more" -an aspiring female pilot from Oklahoma (7)
Earhart's family took great comfort in comments from letters sent as consoaltion post-disappearance, some statements even bringing them family to tears.
"We are stunned" -a Kentucky woman (7)
"I want to choke the Navy for not finding her... I feel she is alive and I know she needs us" -a 15 year old girl from CA (7)
"How can she just be gone" -a New Jersey woman (7)
"I have had people tell me I'm crazy to stay up all night listening to the radio about Amelia and they say Miss Earhart was nothing to me, but I loved Miss Earhart as if she were my own sister, because I know she is a kind and wonderful woman. There isn't another woman I worship more" -an aspiring female pilot from Oklahoma (7)