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CNN Live Today

Remembering Commander Rick Husband

Aired February 03, 2003 - 10:33   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting a chance right now to learn more about Rick Husband, who clearly was a man of science, but also a very spiritual as well, and in a larger sense, he saw the mission as a journey of faith. The Reverend Jeff Seif was a close friend of Rick Husband, and he was joining us now from Dallas, Texas.
Reverend, good morning, and thank you for joins us.

REV. JEFF SEIF, FRIEND OF CMDR. HUSBAND: Glad to be here.

KAGAN: First, I want to offer out by offering our condolences to the family and friends of Rick Husband on this sad morning. I appreciate you coming on with us and getting us a bigger sense of the man.

As I've had a chance to read about him and learn about his life, I'm really struck by his determination, a man to make goals and dreams come true, applying not once, but four times before he was accepted to the astronaut program.

SEIF: Yes. His story, to me, was that he was a guy that loved to fly, and he was just so thankful to God that the Lord opened the doors for him to be a aviator, and to get into the space program and then to be the commander of the space shuttle.

KAGAN: He also, as I understand it, was very taken with the idea that he was going to commander on flight that was also bringing along the first Israeli astronaut.

SEIF: Well, he met with me with his wife, Evelyn, specifically to pray for the mission, and to pray for the crew, and he was really excited about Ilan Ramon, to have the opportunity to spend some time in space with him. Being of Jewish extract myself, you know, he wanted to make sure he was a good ambassador as a Christian, and so he wanted prayers specifically for him and for all of the crew.

KAGAN: You mentioned his wife -- have you had a chance to talk with his family since this happened on Saturday?

SEIF: Well, I left a message at the house, but in terms of the closer webs of relationship, I don't want to overstate my relationship with the family. I met the family at the church down there, Grace Community Church, as a guest speaker. I've been there on a number of occasions.

But in terms of the inner circle, you know, Pastor Rigle (ph) down there and others are ministering to the family, and that's where the closer web is, and I know that they're involved. I don't want to -- I don't need to be too involved right now.

KAGAN: No, I understand. You don't want to overstep your bounds there, but I think what you're trying to get across is that this was a man not just of science, but of great faith as well, and in terms of not just his astronaut career and his family, but that will be his legacy of his time on Earth.

SEIF: That's right, he really loved the Lord, and as a Christian, he really loved the Jewish people, and he just wanted prayer for Ilan Ramon. He was just so excited to do what he did, just a beautiful person, especially in contrast...

KAGAN: Go ahead. You were going to say in contrast -- go ahead.

SEIF: No, especially in contrast to the kind of stuff you hear in the news, some anti-Semitic umpire or whatever. Here is Christian guy, that just -- you know, a Bible man who loved the Lord, and he loved the Jewish people and loved Israel, and he was just a pristine human being, just a great kind of guy...

KAGAN: That definitely snows in the video and the pictures we're able to watch of him now, and also in getting a sense of people that were able to know him during his life. Reverend Seif, thank you for taking the time to share those thoughts and those memories with us today. We really appreciate it.

SEIF: Glad to do it.

KAGAN: Reverend Jeff Seif, joining us from Dallas, Texas.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 3, 2003 - 10:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're getting a chance right now to learn more about Rick Husband, who clearly was a man of science, but also a very spiritual as well, and in a larger sense, he saw the mission as a journey of faith. The Reverend Jeff Seif was a close friend of Rick Husband, and he was joining us now from Dallas, Texas.
Reverend, good morning, and thank you for joins us.

REV. JEFF SEIF, FRIEND OF CMDR. HUSBAND: Glad to be here.

KAGAN: First, I want to offer out by offering our condolences to the family and friends of Rick Husband on this sad morning. I appreciate you coming on with us and getting us a bigger sense of the man.

As I've had a chance to read about him and learn about his life, I'm really struck by his determination, a man to make goals and dreams come true, applying not once, but four times before he was accepted to the astronaut program.

SEIF: Yes. His story, to me, was that he was a guy that loved to fly, and he was just so thankful to God that the Lord opened the doors for him to be a aviator, and to get into the space program and then to be the commander of the space shuttle.

KAGAN: He also, as I understand it, was very taken with the idea that he was going to commander on flight that was also bringing along the first Israeli astronaut.

SEIF: Well, he met with me with his wife, Evelyn, specifically to pray for the mission, and to pray for the crew, and he was really excited about Ilan Ramon, to have the opportunity to spend some time in space with him. Being of Jewish extract myself, you know, he wanted to make sure he was a good ambassador as a Christian, and so he wanted prayers specifically for him and for all of the crew.

KAGAN: You mentioned his wife -- have you had a chance to talk with his family since this happened on Saturday?

SEIF: Well, I left a message at the house, but in terms of the closer webs of relationship, I don't want to overstate my relationship with the family. I met the family at the church down there, Grace Community Church, as a guest speaker. I've been there on a number of occasions.

But in terms of the inner circle, you know, Pastor Rigle (ph) down there and others are ministering to the family, and that's where the closer web is, and I know that they're involved. I don't want to -- I don't need to be too involved right now.

KAGAN: No, I understand. You don't want to overstep your bounds there, but I think what you're trying to get across is that this was a man not just of science, but of great faith as well, and in terms of not just his astronaut career and his family, but that will be his legacy of his time on Earth.

SEIF: That's right, he really loved the Lord, and as a Christian, he really loved the Jewish people, and he just wanted prayer for Ilan Ramon. He was just so excited to do what he did, just a beautiful person, especially in contrast...

KAGAN: Go ahead. You were going to say in contrast -- go ahead.

SEIF: No, especially in contrast to the kind of stuff you hear in the news, some anti-Semitic umpire or whatever. Here is Christian guy, that just -- you know, a Bible man who loved the Lord, and he loved the Jewish people and loved Israel, and he was just a pristine human being, just a great kind of guy...

KAGAN: That definitely snows in the video and the pictures we're able to watch of him now, and also in getting a sense of people that were able to know him during his life. Reverend Seif, thank you for taking the time to share those thoughts and those memories with us today. We really appreciate it.

SEIF: Glad to do it.

KAGAN: Reverend Jeff Seif, joining us from Dallas, Texas.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com