Shuttle Columbia's debris
rains on East Texas

A charred piece of debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia lies by Highway 21 near Alto, Texas, on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003.

	"Columbia is lost" -President G.W. Bush At left, A Texas trooper scours the piney woods for shuttle debris. Below, Trooper Blaine Chesser of the Texas Department of Public Safety puts roses on a pole by a portion of the space shuttle which landed in downtown Nacogdoches, Texas.

Her remains fell upon the historic but quiet town of Nacogdoches, Texas. Until that fateful day, the town's claim to fame had been its importance in the Spanish exploration of the new world.

On that Saturday morning, I had just started my shift on my job at the San Antonio Express-News. As I drove to work, I turned on the radio to hear NPR News announce that "Space Shuttle Columbia is missing." The announcer said that it had been missing for several minutes, which must have already seemed like an eternity to the NASA controllers and the astronauts' families.

Meanwhile, my photo editor, Ron Jaap, called me on the Nextel radio, telling me what I had already heard. I returned home to pack a few items, anticipating that I'd be traveling to cover the developing tragedy. The next news bulletin said that the shuttle was last tracked over "Central Texas." My heart jumped as it appeared that the shuttle may be falling right over our heads.

With Ron directing photo department traffic, I began the drive north on Interstate 35, just a few minutes ahead of fellow Express-News photog Kin Man Hui. We didn't know where we were going, but with each passing minute, new details were emerging and it became apparent that Nacogdoches was the site where much of the debris had landed. A quick glance at the map told me that I'd be on the road for about six hours.

Upon arriving in Nacogdoches, I was struck by the heart-rending sight of a large piece of shuttle debris lying in a roped-off bank parking lot. Hundreds of people stood by, some mumbling prayers, others holding flags. Most stood silently.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. - Psalms 116:15

Above, a piece of shuttle debris rests in the yard of a home near Hemphill, Texas. The piece of debris was later stolen.

People pause to reflect on the shuttle tragedy in downtown Nacogdoches.

To next photo feature, "Pope visits Mexico"

Shades and Shadows home
©2003 Billy Calzada