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CNN Live At Daybreak
Family, Friends Remembering Lost Loved Ones with Pride, Admiration
Aired February 03, 2003 - 05:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Family and friends are remembering their lost loved ones with pride and admiration.
Lubbock, Texas is remembering 41-year-old Willie McCool, as he was called. McCool was the Columbia pilot and pilot and was on his first shuttle mission. A veteran Navy pilot, McCool became an astronaut in 1996.
And Payload Commander Michael Anderson was remembered at church services in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. The 43-year-old Air Force lieutenant colonel has made space the goal of his life. Anderson joined NASA in 1994. A long time friend had this reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICH CANTWELL, MICHAEL ANDERSON FRIEND: And I couldn't believe it. You know, here's someone I knew. I hadn't had any contact with him in about 10 years or so, but that was an amazing local touch to see somebody you knew. It was always somebody, oh, I know an astronaut. But this was, this was a tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And you could easily call Columbia Mission Specialist Laurel Clark an over achiever. A U.S. Navy commander, a doctor, a summary medical officer and a Naval flight surgeon, as well as a wife and a mother.
Laurel's mother had this to say about her daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGORY BROWN, LAUREL CLARK'S MOTHER: And I guess today I feel that her spirit is right there. I feel she's there. She was just a very, very loving -- and maybe loving isn't the right word. Caring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A caring person.
BROWN: Very caring.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Columbia Commander Rick Husband was an Air Force colonel and a former test pilot. He was selected as an astronaut in 1994. Friends in Husband's hometown say he got to live out his childhood dream. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The hometown church of a hometown hero, Rick Husband grew up in this church and Sunday they mourned him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we lift up to you, Jane, one of our own in the death of her son Rick.
COHEN: Embracing each other in his memory. On a recent visit to Amarillo, Husband promised the minister he would speak to the congregation when the shuttle came back down to earth, a promise he would never get the chance to keep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With each mission, there is the danger of disaster.
COHEN: Now all they can do is remember him, his determination...
PATTY RAGAN, HUSBAND FAMILY FRIEND: Oh, always wanted to be an astronaut from the time he was in Belmar Elementary School and never changed from that.
COHEN: His kindness, his heart. For family friends like Patty Ragan and her son-in-law David, Rick Husband was always in their lives.
RAGAN: After they went back in the house to see, after seeing him go across the sky, David called Rick and left a message and said, "Hey, buddy, saw you going home from work today."
COHEN: And although he'll never get to hear that recording, to the faithful, Colonel Husband did, indeed, go to a spiritual home.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Amarillo, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Admiration>
Aired February 3, 2003 - 05:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Family and friends are remembering their lost loved ones with pride and admiration.
Lubbock, Texas is remembering 41-year-old Willie McCool, as he was called. McCool was the Columbia pilot and pilot and was on his first shuttle mission. A veteran Navy pilot, McCool became an astronaut in 1996.
And Payload Commander Michael Anderson was remembered at church services in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. The 43-year-old Air Force lieutenant colonel has made space the goal of his life. Anderson joined NASA in 1994. A long time friend had this reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICH CANTWELL, MICHAEL ANDERSON FRIEND: And I couldn't believe it. You know, here's someone I knew. I hadn't had any contact with him in about 10 years or so, but that was an amazing local touch to see somebody you knew. It was always somebody, oh, I know an astronaut. But this was, this was a tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And you could easily call Columbia Mission Specialist Laurel Clark an over achiever. A U.S. Navy commander, a doctor, a summary medical officer and a Naval flight surgeon, as well as a wife and a mother.
Laurel's mother had this to say about her daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGORY BROWN, LAUREL CLARK'S MOTHER: And I guess today I feel that her spirit is right there. I feel she's there. She was just a very, very loving -- and maybe loving isn't the right word. Caring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A caring person.
BROWN: Very caring.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Columbia Commander Rick Husband was an Air Force colonel and a former test pilot. He was selected as an astronaut in 1994. Friends in Husband's hometown say he got to live out his childhood dream. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The hometown church of a hometown hero, Rick Husband grew up in this church and Sunday they mourned him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we lift up to you, Jane, one of our own in the death of her son Rick.
COHEN: Embracing each other in his memory. On a recent visit to Amarillo, Husband promised the minister he would speak to the congregation when the shuttle came back down to earth, a promise he would never get the chance to keep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With each mission, there is the danger of disaster.
COHEN: Now all they can do is remember him, his determination...
PATTY RAGAN, HUSBAND FAMILY FRIEND: Oh, always wanted to be an astronaut from the time he was in Belmar Elementary School and never changed from that.
COHEN: His kindness, his heart. For family friends like Patty Ragan and her son-in-law David, Rick Husband was always in their lives.
RAGAN: After they went back in the house to see, after seeing him go across the sky, David called Rick and left a message and said, "Hey, buddy, saw you going home from work today."
COHEN: And although he'll never get to hear that recording, to the faithful, Colonel Husband did, indeed, go to a spiritual home.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Amarillo, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Admiration>
