Willie McCool Memorials

My mom sent me an article in my email and it prompted me to do some more searching on Willie McCool. Here's the article she sent me: "Life of astronaut McCool was unforgettable to those who knew him"

Willie McCool was a USNA grad and ever since I was a plebe, on my way to the Catholic chapel in Bancroft (especially at night for the Rosary with other Mids), I would pass by the graduate databases and as a kind of good luck charm I would always touch all the screens to activate the databases. And when I had time, I would look up Willie's name. Class of 1983

This one got to me a lot - "Dedication of the Willie McCool Memorial Marker at the United States Naval Academy." I can't believe in the past four years this is the first time I've heard about the memorial along the cross country course. Willie ran his personal best here - five miles in 27:24. The Columbia shuttle was 16 minutes away from landing when it broke apart and so the memorial is at the point along the course where Willie would have been 16 minutes away from the finish line. I was really moved when I read this.

I posted under "Print the Legend" on the left column a site with photos, articles, and sound bytes of Willie...I listened to the clip of he and Laurel talking about seeing sunrises. The volume wasn't good so I had to listen very carefully but every now and then I would hear their voices...amazing. Every time I go to Bethesda hospital I take time to look at the large photo memorial of the astronauts and a couple times I went inside the Laurel Clark Auditorium to just think.