February made me shiver
With every paper I delivered
Bad news on the door step
I could not take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
when I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
the day the music died.
And they were singing
bye bye Miss American pie
drove my Chevy to the levy
But the levy was dry.
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
saying this will be the day that I die. Don McClain "American Pie"
God bless them all!
Buddy
The Big Bopper
Richie
and the seven shuttle Astronauts
The Right Stuff
Marshall U. 1971 :angel:
This "Special Notice" is from NASA Headquarters.
Point of Contact: Glenn Mahone, Code P, 358-1898.
----------------------------------
A MESSAGE TO THE NASA FAMILY:
The Loss of Columbia and Its Courageous Crew
The loss of the courageous crew of STS-107 and of the Space
Shuttle Columbia has brought tragedy to the NASA family, to the
families of these seven heroes and to our Nation.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of seven
remarkable individuals-Rick Husband, William McCool, Mike
Anderson, Dave Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark and Ilan
Ramon. These explorers performed magnificently and with
tremendous spirit on this mission to expand our scientific
horizons.
The bond between those who venture into the frontier of space,
and those who make spaceflight possible is incredibly strong.
Accordingly, our grief is unbearably great. But so is our resolve
to do everything we possibly can for the families of the Columbia
crew to find out what caused this accident, and to move on to
correct what problems we find and make sure this never happens
again. We owe them that.
To honor the Columbia crew and the family members who have borne
their personal grief with tremendous dignity and courage,
President Bush will join us for a memorial service at the Johnson
Space Flight Center on Tuesday, February 4 at 12 noon. All badged
NASA employees are welcome to attend this event. There will also
be a memorial service on Thursday, February 6 at Washington's
National Cathedral at 1:00 p.m.
Our nonstop work to recover from this terrible tragedy also
honors the astronauts and their families. That work, which began
the minute we realized that Columbia and its crew would not
safely return home, will be NASA's chief focus in the days and
weeks ahead, along with the continued safe operations of the
International Space Station.
The work for the accident investigation is ongoing at many
locations, and is being supported by federal, state and local
government organizations who are helping us collect all the
evidence. Their cooperation is greatly appreciated. To help this
work we have appointed a NASA Space Shuttle Mishap Investigation
Team and an independent investigation board, which will provide
an objective review of the events and activities that led up to
Saturday's tragedy. Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Harold W. Gehman,
Jr., the former Commander in Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Command,
who later led the independent commission that investigated the
attack on the U.S.S. Cole, will chair the investigative board.
The board has already held its first meeting at Barksdale Air
Force Base in Louisiana.
In the horrible hours after the loss of Columbia, I saw countless
examples of NASA employees pulling together and doing their jobs
with the professionalism that the American public expects from
this storied agency. And the President has asked me to pass along
his appreciation and admiration for the professionalism being
displayed by the entire NASA family.
As all of us strive to leave no stone unturned in the accident
investigation and recovery efforts, let us also remember our
responsibilities to take care of our fellow NASA family members.
Our dedicated Employee Assistance professionals are on hand to
help should anyone need emotional support in the days ahead.
Please feel comfortable in asking for their services if the need
arises.
As we search for solace in this challenging time, I have found
comfort in the following verse of the Navy Hymn that was written
especially for our astronauts:
Eternal Father, King of birth,
Who didst create the heaven and earth,
And bid the planets and the sun
Their own appointed orbits run;
O hear us when we seek thy grace
For those who soar through outer space.
May God bless the crew of STS-107, their families, and the
members of the NASA family.
Sean O'Keefe
NASA Administrator