19 years ago today

I was in third grade, it was cold and foggy in Fresno. By dumb luck I never saw the launch live, we were supposed to see it on tape after the morning recess. But by the end of recess, we all knew what had happened. I remember being sad and scared, but it didn't seem real, it was on TV. It was my first (but not last, sadly) national tragedy. Nineteen years goes so fast and changes so many things.

Today we remember the seven brave souls who set off on a mission of exploration and education, but never made it into space: Dick Scobee, Mike Smith, Judy Resnick, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Ron McNair, and Greg Jarvis.

Yesterday was the 38th anniversary of NASA's first space accident, the Apollo 1 launch test that took the lives of Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee.

Next week is the second anniversary of the loss of Columbia, something I'll discuss in more detail then. This is a wonderful tribute to all three crews, from their colleagues and friends at NASA.

As President Reagan said, "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."