A Salute to Hemphill, Texas

Texas Highways magazine was the first periodical to feature "Bringing Columbia Home." There's a very poignant article about Hemphill and Sabine County, Texas in the January 2023 issue, which also mentions the book. https://texashighways.com/culture/history/hemphill-remembers-the-columbia-disaster-20-years-later/ Mike Leinbach and I will forever be grateful that we were able to help honor the heroic deeds of the people who assisted in the recovery of Columbia and her crew.  If you're ever in East Texas, please consider making a pilgrimage to Hemphill to see the incredible Remembering Columbia Museum and meet some of the people who answered the call in the darkest hours following the accident in 2003. ...
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“Farewell, Columbia” at Spacefest VIII, June 11, 2017

With seven-time astronaut Jerry Ross at my side, I gave a presentation at Spacefest VIII in Tucson on June 11. It summarized the incredible story of the recovery and reconstruction of space shuttle Columbia following the February 1, 2003 accident that took the lives of her crew. Having spent the past two years conducting nearly a hundred interviews with people ranging from the former Administrator of NASA to the women who volunteered at the Hemphill, Texas VFW Hall, I had so much I wanted to say and so little time in which to say it! Of course we could only touch on the highlights of the story and just a few of the 25,000 people who made this—the largest search and recovery operation in US history—a success. Even the book, which is due in December, will just barely be able to scratch the surface. I recorded the presentation, and Jerry kindly consented to my posting his comments publicly. I encourage you to listen...
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