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The President:

AT 9:00 THIS MORNING, MISSION
CONTROL IN HOUSTON LOST CONTACT
WITH OUR SPACE SHUTTLE
"COLUMBIA".
A SHORT TIME LATER, DEBRIS WAS
SEEN FALLING FROM THE SKIES
ABOVE TEXAS.
THE "COLUMBIA"'S LOST.
THERE ARE NO SURVIVORS.
ON BOARD WAS A CREW OF SEVEN.
COLONEL RICK HUSBAND, LIEUTENANT
COLONEL MICHAEL ANDERSON.
COMMANDER LAUREL CLARK, CAPTAIN
DAVID BROWN, COMMANDER WILLIAM
McCOOL, DR. KALPANA CHAWLA AND
DR. ILAN RAMONE.
A COLONEL IN THE ISRAELI AIR
FORCE.
THEY SERVED GREAT SERVICE TO ALL
HUMANITY IN AN AGE WHEN
SPACEFLIGHT HAS COME TO SEEM
ALMOST ROUTINE.
IT IS EASY TO OVERLOOK THE
DANGERS OF TRAVEL BY ROCKET.
AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF
NAVIGATING THE OUTER ATMOSPHERE
OF THE EARTH.
THESE ASTRONAUTS KNEW THE
DANGERS AND THEY FACED THEM
WILLINGLY.
KNOWING THEY HAD A HIGH AND
NOBLE PURPOSE IN LIFE.
BECAUSE OF THEIR COURAGE AND
COURAGE WE WILL MISS THEM OFF.
ALL AMERICANS TODAY ARE THINKING
AS WELL.
THE FAMILIES OF THESE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE
SUDDEN SHOCK AND GRIEF.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
OUR ENTIRE NATION GRIEVES WITH
YOU.
AND THOSE YOU LOVE WILL ALWAYS
HAVE THE RESPECT AND GRATITUDE
OF THIS COUNTRY.
THE CAUSE IN WHICH THEY DIED
WILL CONTINUE.
MANKIND IS LED INTO THE DARKNESS
BEYOND OUR WORLD BY THE
INSPRAIGSS OF DISCOVERY AND THE
LONGING TO UNDERSTAND.
OUR JOURNEY INTO SPACE WILL GO
ON AND OTHER SKIES TODAY, WE SAW
DESTRUCTION AND TRAGEDY.
IT'S FARTHER THAN WE CAN SEE.
THERE'S COMFORT AND HOPE.
IN THE WORDS OF THE PROPHET
ISAIAH "LIFT YOUR EYES AND LOOK
TO THE HEAVENS WHO CREATED ALL
THESE.
HE WHO BRINGS OUT THE STARY
HOSTS ONE BY ONE, AND CALLS THEM
EACH BY NAME."
BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT POWER AND
MIGHTY STRENGTH OTHERS NOT ONE
OF THEM IS MISSING.
THE SAME CREATOR WHO NAMES THE
STARS, ALSO KNOWS THE NAMES OF
THE SEVEN SOULS WE MOURN TODAY.
THE CREW OF THE SHUTTLE
"COLUMBIA" DID NOT RETURN SAFELY
TO EARTH, YET WE CAN PRAY THAT
ALL ARE SAFELY HOME.
MAY GOD BLESS THE GRIEVING
FAMILIES AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO
BLESS AMERICA.