[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11446]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             ``COLUMBIA'' SHUTTLE DEBRIS COLLECTION EFFORT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. TURNER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Joint 
Resolution 222, commending those individuals who contributed to the 
debris collection effort following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.
  Mr. Speaker, on February 1 of 2003 the peaceful skies over my 
district in east Texas were shaken by the last moments of the fateful 
mission of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The people of east Texas looked 
up and saw a shower fall from the heavens on a clear blue sky morning. 
Once again we had lost our sons and daughters on the new frontiers of 
space. The entire Nation grieved the loss of seven brave astronauts: 
Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Specialists Mike 
Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon.
  In east Texas, mourning our loss also came with a mission, a 
heartfelt commitment to recover the debris of the shuttle and the 
remains of her crew. The volunteer firefighters, police and sheriffs 
offices acted with speed and professionalism to secure the areas where 
the fallen craft had come to rest.
  As the enormity of the task unfolded, men and women in east Texas 
volunteered to watch over the remains of the Columbia, knowing that the 
safety of future shuttle missions depended on gathering evidence to 
determine the cause of this tragedy. Thousands of volunteers worked in 
canteens manned by the Salvation Army, local churches, and charities 
supplying the workers with food and drink donated by local businesses.
  Across the Nation, and especially in east Texas, compassionate 
citizens offered prayers and support and held memorial services and 
vigils. During the 3 months following February 1, over 14,800 personnel 
from 133 Federal, State, and local agencies, and thousands of ordinary 
citizens volunteered, spending countless hours searching over 500,000 
acres and recovering over 65,000 pieces of the shuttle.
  Two men, Charles Krenek of Lufkin, Texas, and Jules F. ``Buzz'' Mier, 
Jr. of Arizona, lost their lives when their recovery helicopter crashed 
in the forest of San Augustine County. Their names may not be recorded 
in the history books along with the astronauts, but their service to 
our country must not be forgotten.
  I am proud of our east Texans who worked day and night in the 
recovery effort. Their commitment and dedication to carrying out their 
task with the dignity and respect the astronauts and their families 
deserved was an inspiration to all Americans.
  In the wake of the tragedy, east Texans responded with the best our 
Nation has to offer; and I know our entire country, as well as the 
families of those so closely affected by this tragedy, join us today in 
expressing our gratitude and appreciation to the thousands who joined 
in the recovery of the Columbia. A grateful Nation will always 
remember.

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