Challenger Remembered

Last Friday, while I was flying to the Reagan Library, we commemorated twenty five years since the Challenger disaster. I was 9, nearly 10 years old, and in the fourth grade.  We had a half day off from school that day, and it was book club day. I was sitting in my bedroom with my new book, and mom knocked on the door and told me about the awful tragedy. And I responded, "Was that the one the teacher was on?" and mom said she didn't know.  I sat riveted, like so much of the country, watching television and the footage of that disaster, over and over again. With the exception of 9/11, that day was one of the most memorable moments that drew this nation together in tragedy.

With President Reagan's centennial coming up on Sunday (and how cool is it that they'll commemorate it during the Superbowl!), I thought linking to his words of comfort that evening of the disaster would be fitting. One of the most beautiful speeches ever delivered, absolutely.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them...

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."