I thought some of you might enjoy reading the article that was in the Nashville News, Vol. 69, #32, this past week. LOCAL RESIDENTS MOURN LOSS OF ASTRONAUT MCCOOL Shuttle Pilot's Roots Stem From County by David Volz Underneath a photograph of McCool: Commander Willie McCool, whose mother grew up in Washington County, was killed in the shuttle Columbia disaster Saturday. A memorial service was held here Tuesday. "We lost a good friend." With these simple words, Virgil Spenner summed up the death of astronaut William McCool in the shuttle Columbia disaster Saturday morning. The Spenner family manages the farm in rural Hoyleton once owned by the late Ed and Opal Huck, the astronaut's grandparents. The McCool family often spent time there over the years. Other Washington County residents also remember Audrey (Huck) McCool, the astronaut's mother, who grew up here. The family has some relatives in this area. Local residents gathered Tuesday night at Grace United Methodist Church in Nashville to remember the Columbia crew at a service sponsored by Nashville Ministerial Alliance. Flags were lowered to half-staff over the weekend in memory of the brave men and women who gave their lives to advance the frontiers of human knowledge. "He had no hesitation whatsoever in the ultimate sacrifice, furthering science and space exploration," said Commander McCool's father, Barent, in an interview on NBC's Dateline Sunday evening. "He died doing something he loved and worked his whole life for." In that save interview, his mother said, "He was a happy, positive person. I'll miss his spirit." Virgil and wife Elaine, their son Steve, his wife Cindy and their children were at Cape Canaveral January 16 when STS-107 roared into the sky on the start of a 16-day scientific mission. Charles Braly of Nashville, a classmate of Mrs. McCool's, also was present, Spenner said. They and millions of others watched in horror Saturday as NASA's oldest spacecraft broke apart at about 8 a.m. CST, some 39 miles over Texas, just 16 minutes from its scheduled landing. It was 41-year-old Commander McCool's first flight into space. The 113th shuttle flight was the first to experience serious problems since the Challenger exploded on liftoff exactly 17 years ago last month. It was the third fatal accident since Americans began exploring space in the 1960s. Three Apollo astronauts were killed in 1967. Navy Commander McCool was the Columbia's pilot. Other crew members lost were Commander Rich Husband, mission specialists Kalpana Chawia, Dr. Laurel Clark and David Brown; payload commander Michael Anderson; and payload specialist Ilan Ramon, the first astronaut from Israel NASA is investigating the cause of the disaster. Earl speculation points to a piece of foam insulation that came loose from a fuel tank at liftoff and may have struck the Columbia's left wing. Investigators are gathering bits of wreckage that are scattered along a wide area of east Texas and Louisiana. Spenner said Monday he had e-mailed condolences to the McCool family. "We know them as friends and we keep in touch. We have a good relationship." He recalled happier times of a young boy and his sister fishing in the ponds on his grandparents' farm, riding a bike and playing on tractors. Commander McCool's last trip to Washington County was in 1996., shortly after learning of his selection as a NASA astronaut. Spenner also was thrilled at the VIP treatment his family received at the Kennedy Space Center, where they were privileged to witness the shuttle launch, remembering it as an awesome experience. In an interview with the Nashville News last spring, Commander McCool expressed his excitement at his first flight, which at that time was scheduled for July. "The challenge is to quench that excitement and stay focused," he said. It was the first shuttle mission in at least two years dedicated entirely to scientific research, dealing with over 90 experiments in physics, biology and space exploration. He followed in his father's footsteps as a naval aviator and graduated second in his class at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. He flew the EA-6B Prowler, an electronic warfare craft, and made 500 carrier landings. Then he became a test pilot, eventually logging 3,000 hours flight experience in 24 aircraft before being accepted as an astronaut. He held master's degrees in computer science and aeronautical engineering. Space flight, however, was not a lifelong dream. "I just follow where my interests take me," he said last spring. President George Bush consoled a shocked and grieving nation last weekend by saying "The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth, but we can pray that all are safely home." Following the article were two pictures; Caption: As a child, Willie McCool often visited the farm of his grandparents, Ed and Opal Huck, in rural Hoyleton. Virgil Spenner provided this photo. (Photo was of Willie riding his bicycle.) Caption: Members of the Spenner family posed with a cardboard cutout of Commander William McCool while they were at the Kennedy Space Center to witness Columbia's liftoff on its fateful flight last month. They are, left to right, Virgil Spenner, Erin Elaine, Elaine Spenner, Emily, Cindy, Katie and Steve Spenner. Flight preparations presented the astronaut from personally greeting his friend from Washington County. I