Memorial Service for Ilan Ramon
February 3, 2004

Dear Rona, Asaf, Tal, David and Noah Ramon…

Evelyn Husband, Lani McCool, Sandy Anderson, Jon Clark, J.P. Harrison and Douglas Brown….
Family and friends…

This evening completes very emotional days of commemoration of the Columbia Shuttle Heroes, a year after their passing into the heavens.

It has been a year of great sadness…infinite pride and determined resolution.

We're sad for the tragic loss of such precious lives as Rick, Willie, K.C, Mike, Laurel, Dave and Ilan - just minutes away from their return home and completing their brave and noble mission in space.

We're proud of their achievements…their excellence… and their devotion to their mission for all mankind.
And we are resolute to ensure that their memory lives on, and their legacy continues.

We in Israel, felt so proud that beautiful, bright day, when we witnessed the launch of the Columbia which took to space Israeli Air Force Colonel Ilan Ramon, as a member of the NASA team of the United States, our greatest friend and ally.

Ilan, the son of a holocaust survivor… a veteran of many dangerous flight missions in the defense of our nation… and Israel's first astronaut…epitomized the story of Israel and the Jewish people.
A people that in less than two generations rose from the ashes of despair - the lowest depths of humanity and soared to the heights of human splendor… demonstrating the spirit to triumph over tribulation… to create a better world. He will always be a hero to our grateful nation.

Israel, like the United States, stood still, waiting for the safe return of the Columbia shuttle… and the pain will always be with us.

Only the very sensitive, caring and professional response of the entire NASA team, under the leadership of Sean O'Keefe, mitigated the sorrow. We realized exactly what NASA meant when they said: "We are a family".

A family that supports each other in times of great joy and deep sadness… keeps our faith and gives us strength to overcome tragedy… and to carry on.

As it says in the Bible, in the book of Isaiah:

"But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles. They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."

Thank you Sean and Michael O'Brien and John Shumaker and Steve Mclean and all of you at NASA… and thank you America, for giving us the honor to participate in your space exploration program. We trust and admire your leadership and we always stand ready and proud to return to space with you. This will be the ultimate tribute to Ilan.
Thank You. God Bless us all.