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"I want you to be remembered as a very wonderful humble man, but most of all a hero."
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Judy Charest (JC) and Harold Hogue (HH)
JC: December the 24th, my dad went in to take a shower and when he came out, Mama was gone with me. She had driven to the Shelby Street Bridge, and with me in her arms she jumped 90 feet.
HH: On that day I looked down to the river, and I saw this woman floating by. She was hollerin’, “Save my baby!” And my good friend, Jack Knox, jumped in the river at that point. But it was cold. My gosh it was cold. And so when Jack first handed you to me I just started running up the bank. And after two or three steps I heard the baby grunt. I thought, “This is too good to be true, she’s still alive.” It was a miracle.
When did you first find out that your mother jumped in the river with you?
JC: When I was 21. Growing up, I just never knew. Christmas Day, Daddy would hold me tight and I always wondered why.
HH: What happened to your mother after that event?
JC: She was hospitalized and then diagnosed with bipolar manic depression. But, uh, when they began to treat her illness she just had a wonderful life.
JC: Did you ever wonder what had happened to me after that night?
HH: I wondered a lot. I didn’t know your name didn’t know who you were or anything else.
JC: What do you remember about the first time that we met?
HH: Well I told you about the first time when you were a baby. (laughs)
JC: (laughs)
HH: No, I just remember it was a very emotional time.
JC: We hugged for a long time.
HH: Yeah, we did.
JC: And it was so familiar.
You know, if it hadn’t been for you I wouldn’t not be here today. And, uh, I want you to be remembered as a very wonderful humble man, but most of all a hero.
HH: That’s, that’s very pleasant to hear, that really is. I feel undeserving, but thank you.
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StoryCorps is America’s oral history project. Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected more than 60,000 interviews with over 100,000 participants from all backgrounds -- the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered. Recordings are archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress so that future generations can hear the stories – and the voices – of today. We share stories online and through our popular weekly NPR broadcasts, podcast, animated shorts, and best-selling books. StoryCorps is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.