Remarks by Gov. Jeb Bush at FL NASA Kennedy Center, Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial Service, 2/7/03

State of FL website - myflorida.com ^ | Friday, Feb 7, 2003 | Jeb Bush

[summer]

Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial Service Remarks

by FL Gov. Jeb Bush

They were supposed to return here.

After orbiting the earth for sixteen days, after traveling more than six million miles, after seeing every corner of our beautiful world, they were supposed to return here.

You -- their coworkers, their colleagues, their friends -- were ready to greet them with their families, to congratulate them on their successful mission, to honor them as the newest standard bearers of the great American tradition of exploration and discovery in space.

They were supposed to return here, to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.

We Floridians are so proud of this place. We are so proud that for four decades, our astronauts have journeyed into the heavens from our own beloved shores.

And we are so proud that for nearly two decades, we have welcomed our astronauts home again, as one of the landing sites for the Space Shuttle program.

This place stood ready to welcome home seven new heroes last Saturday morning, but the men and women of Columbia did not return to us.

Our entire nation grieves at their loss. Our prayers are with their families. And our prayers are also with you, you who shared with them the ancient dream of being one with the stars.

Who among us has never looked up into the heavens on a starlit night, lost in wonder at the vastness of space and the beauty of the stars?

So too did the founders of our own democracy look to the stars for inspiration. In the summer of 1777, as the first American patriots fought for independence and liberty against the forces of tyranny, they needed a standard, a symbol to rally the hearts of our people.

And so in June of that year, the Continental Congress designed a flag. "Resolved," they said, "that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

That new constellation shines as brightly as ever today.

Now fifty stars strong, it commands the allegiance of 280 million Americans who lowered their Star-Spangled Banner to half-mast in honor of their lost countrymen. This nation under God still looks heavenward, looking no longer for the return of those whom we have lost, but to God himself, just as an old childless man did many centuries ago.

The book of Genesis tells us that Abraham -- patriarch of the three great monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- was lost in despair one night. Abraham doubted whether God’s promise of a son, an heir, and a future would ever come true.

But the Lord took Abraham outside of his tent and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." The old man looked up, and the Lord said, "So shall your offspring be."

Since that night, the children of Abraham - by blood and by faith - have looked up at the stars and seen in them the boundless expanse of God’s blessing and Providence. And we have been comforted, knowing that even in the midst of despair and darkness, God is with us. And with God there is light.

And so, men and women of the Kennedy Space Center, let us grieve together, but let us also share hope.

Let us share the hope that when we look to the stars, we will see in them a reminder of the heroes who dared to travel among them.

Let us cherish the hope that those men and women we lost will inspire us and our children for generations to come.

Let us nurture the hope that our seven astronauts - Rick Husband, David Brown, Michael Anderson, Laurel Salton Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Ilan Ramon and Willie McCool - will forever be united in our hearts. Not only united for sixteen days as a team on a mission to the stars, but also united as a constellation of stars in the annals of space exploration and discovery. May God bring them to Him. May God be with their families and friends. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Thank you.

[summer]

Thanks for bumping this thread, NonValueAdded.

[summer]

Thanks for your comments on this thread.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Each of those illustrations touched my heart, and it was my pleasure to share them.

[summer]

FYI --

>> > ----- Original Message -----

>> > From: "Flatley James CDR VF-154"

>> > To: "RADM & Mrs J H Flatley E-mail"

>> > Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 11:28 PM >> > >> >

>> > Below is an e-mail sent from orbit by CDR Willie McCool to some of his >> Naval >> > Academy classmates early in Columbia's final mission.

Willie was a good >> > friend, and a stand out in the Class of '83 from the first day of Plebe >> > Summer, right on through to accepting the second to last diploma at >> > graduation, as the second brightest star in our Class. God has now asked >> him >> > to be one of seven, equally bright stars in Heaven's newest >constellation: >> >

>> > Sat 1/25/2003 2:20 PM >> >

>> > Greetings from 150 miles above the Earth! My apologies up-front for not writing each of you personally. The tempo is very high, and what few precious free moments I do have, I try to use absorbing the overwhelming smorgasbord of new experiences. There is so much to share with you!

Too much to write ... so hang tight until post-flight when I can bring photos and videos to accompany the stories. This has been an unbelievable adventure!

I hope you enjoyed watching the launch, and thanks for hanging tough through the many delays. More later when we return ...

Willie

PS - As I write, we just experienced a sunset over the Pacific, just East of Chile. I'm sitting on the flight deck in the CDR seat (front right) with a view of the Earth moving gracefully by. Sunsets and sunrises from space come every 45 minutes, and last only about 30 seconds, but the colors are stunning. In a single view I see looking out at the edge of the Earth - red at the horizon line, blending to orange, then yellow; followed by a thin white line, then light blue, gradually turning to dark blue, then various gradually darker shades of gray, then black with a million stars above.

It's breath-taking! >> >

>> > ---------------------- >> > ---------------------- >> >

>> > A footnote: The Creator of us all must have have had a special place set >> > aside in His Kingdom for the diverse team crewing shuttle Columbia. Of >all >> > the children He has created in His image since the begining of >> civilization, >> > these seven, truly representing all on earth in gender, race and >> > nationality, enjoyed the briefest journey, ever, back into His arms. God >> > bless their service and sacrifice to their nation's, and to mankind.

>> >Jim> >> >

[summer]

See above email from Willie McCool, a crewmember of Columbia, early in its mission.

[summer]

BTW, that email message was just sent out on a massive email distribution list to teachers in FL, from the head of a FL teachers association (not a union).

[snopercod]

The CDR seat is front-left. The PLT is front-right.

[summer]

Well, I don't know what to say to that. I believe you, and I don't know why this would be in error. Another one of life's mysteries, I suppose.

[summer]

Check your freepmail. I'm sending you the header of the email I received about this. Thanks.

[summer]

RE your post #6 and my post #17 --

---------------------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: [summer]
To: Jeb Bush
Date: Saturday, February 08, 2003 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: your comments

>Thanks for your reply, Governor Bush. >I will let him know what you said here. >Sincerely, >[summer] >

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jeb Bush
>To: [summer]
>Date: Saturday, February 08, 2003 5:23 PM
>Subject: RE: your comments

> >I did not receive his email. >
>Jeb Bush

-----------------------------------------------------

Joe, This is the email I received today from Gov Bush about any comments he may have had in response to: your email to him.

And, now, I am wondering -- did you use the email address for him that I gave you?

Because after I gave it to you via freepmail, you wrote back and sounded like you thought it was the wrong address, but I assured you -- it is the right address, with that domain, despite his campaign site no longer being up.

If you did not use it, try again - and use it this time.

That is an email address he reads and uses with the public, as I told you. In fact, I used it today, and he answered, above, on that email address.

summer

[summer]

Joe, I just now heard from Gov Bush again, re your concerns. Here is an email -- from him to you (via me):

-----Original Message-----
From: [summer]
To: Jeb Bush
Date: Saturday, February 08, 2003 5:54 PM
Subject: Re: your comments

>Thanks, I will post this as well, Governor Bush.
[summer]

> >-----Original Message-----
>From: Jeb Bush
>To: [summer]
>Date: Saturday, February 08, 2003 5:44 PM
>Subject: RE: your comments > >

>he can email me at jeb@jeb.org >

>Jeb Bush

[Joe Brower]

My fondest thanks for your efforts, summer. I have emailed Gov. Jeb Bush at jeb@jeb.org. Wouldn't you know it -- of the three addresses I had for him, this is the one of the three that I did not use!

Again, muchas gracias,

Joe B.

[summer]

No problem, Joe, and thanks for your post. I am sure you will hear from him - I know I'm not the only FL citizen to receive email from him! :)

[KansasCanadian]

I am looking for that original thread where Freepers reported the Columbia explosion. Does anyone know where to find it?