Hail & Farewell...Columbia

February 1, 2003

Today the world was again plunged into great saddness. Today, the World lost brave men and women in another Space Shuttle tragedy. In 1986 when the Challenger exploded on take-off...we lost Americans. Today, we lost Americans and an Israeli. We lost a woman who was born in India but came to America with high dreams and hope and became an American citizen.

We lost 7 bright, brave and brilliant human beings who contributed to the "good things" of this world. Their dreams lay in the NASA program and they pushed forward to that 'high calling'. I am sure each one of them knew this great poem, written by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. who flew with the Royal Canadian Air Force in England at the Start of WW II. He was killed shortly after he composed "High Flight."

HIGH FLIGHT

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds -- and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of -- wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence.

Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace where never lark, or even eagle flew.

And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

It is my thought...that these wonderful brave people, if they had to go, went doing what they loved to do. They went, all together, in a blinding flash....onward and upward "and touched the face of GOD.". May we all keep their families in our prayers.

The Space Program....will go forward, we shall always keep "pushing the envelope" We shall never forget the HEROES of the COLUMBIA!

All Photos from NASA

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