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CNN Live Today

People Paying Respect to Seven Astronauts

Aired February 04, 2003 - 11:55   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 at the visitors center at the astronauts memorial. This is where people are gathering in an impromptu nature to pay their respects to the seven astronauts who lost their lives onboard Columbia. We're just about an hour away from the official memorial service to begin at Johnson Space Center. That's in Houston, and that's where we find our Jeff Flock this morning.
Jeff, good morning.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Daryn. You know, I was here in 1986, and this particular gate didn't exist in '86, but at the main gate, there was nothing like this. This is something that has -- peculiar to this year, and maybe it's been there's so much tragedy in the country that these sorts of memorials have sprung up at the scenes for folks who feel maybe they can't do much else, I don't know.

A lot of people said, I didn't know where else to come, I didn't know what else to do. A lot of people bringing their children out here. This young lady, what brings you this morning?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To have my children here and witness this and be a part of it. We're so sad and all the news coverage and everything, we've seen it in the past few days.

FLOCK: Do they have a sense of what's going on?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They do. They do. We live in Clear Lake, so it's so hard. It's so close to our home, and it hits us even harder, I think.

FLOCK: As we talk, Bruce, I'll ask you to back off. People, I know you've been reading them. We've all been reading them this morning, Poems. This one, go now, take your place in the stars, rest, for your job is through. We will move on knowing your sacrifice and knowing we were blessed for our time with you.

A lot of these things are pretty moving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, they are. They are. It is just amazing how people pay their respects with things that come from their heart, and things that really have touched our lives just looking at them and watching them. It's really special, and we're just saddened by all of this, but we hope that NASA continues to do the great work that they've done.

FLOCK: That seems to be the big message that comes out here this day, and that is that everyone that we've talked to here, and I think this will be echoed certainly by the president, as well as by the families, they would all like as a tribute to these people that lost their lives for the space program to continue stronger than ever and get back in the air as quick as possible.

That's the latest from here, Daryn. Back to you.

KAGAN: Jeff, thank you very much.

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 4, 2003 - 11:55   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 at the visitors center at the astronauts memorial. This is where people are gathering in an impromptu nature to pay their respects to the seven astronauts who lost their lives onboard Columbia. We're just about an hour away from the official memorial service to begin at Johnson Space Center. That's in Houston, and that's where we find our Jeff Flock this morning.
Jeff, good morning.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Daryn. You know, I was here in 1986, and this particular gate didn't exist in '86, but at the main gate, there was nothing like this. This is something that has -- peculiar to this year, and maybe it's been there's so much tragedy in the country that these sorts of memorials have sprung up at the scenes for folks who feel maybe they can't do much else, I don't know.

A lot of people said, I didn't know where else to come, I didn't know what else to do. A lot of people bringing their children out here. This young lady, what brings you this morning?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To have my children here and witness this and be a part of it. We're so sad and all the news coverage and everything, we've seen it in the past few days.

FLOCK: Do they have a sense of what's going on?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They do. They do. We live in Clear Lake, so it's so hard. It's so close to our home, and it hits us even harder, I think.

FLOCK: As we talk, Bruce, I'll ask you to back off. People, I know you've been reading them. We've all been reading them this morning, Poems. This one, go now, take your place in the stars, rest, for your job is through. We will move on knowing your sacrifice and knowing we were blessed for our time with you.

A lot of these things are pretty moving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, they are. They are. It is just amazing how people pay their respects with things that come from their heart, and things that really have touched our lives just looking at them and watching them. It's really special, and we're just saddened by all of this, but we hope that NASA continues to do the great work that they've done.

FLOCK: That seems to be the big message that comes out here this day, and that is that everyone that we've talked to here, and I think this will be echoed certainly by the president, as well as by the families, they would all like as a tribute to these people that lost their lives for the space program to continue stronger than ever and get back in the air as quick as possible.

That's the latest from here, Daryn. Back to you.

KAGAN: Jeff, thank you very much.

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