Diary Entry - 01/28/1986
Key Facts
President Reagan receives word from Vice President Bush that the Space Shuttle Challenger has exploded.
President Reagan addresses the nation about the Challenger Explosion.
President Reagan meets with four young heroes who will be mentioned in the President's State of the Union Address.
A day we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. Started off with a staff meeting & then a session with the Cong. leadership of both parties. Had a go around with Tip—think I came out pretty good. Then Sen. Murkowski brought in a family of 4 just recently united here in Am. An American husband, his Vietnamese wife & their 2 children who had been held in Vietnam.
Then I was getting a briefing for a meeting I was to have with network anchors—an advance on the St. of the Union address scheduled for tonight. In came Poindexter & the V.P. with the news the shuttle Challenger had blown up on takeoff. We all then headed for a T.V. & saw the explosion re-played. From then on there was only subject—the death of the 6 crew & 1 passenger—Mrs. McAuliffe the teacher who had won the right to make the flight. There is no way to describe our shock & horror. We cancelled—I should say postponed the St. of the Union address til next week. Cong. closed down for the day. Nancys brother Dick, Patty & son Geoff were already on their way here for the speech also Maureen was here. Well they’ll all be back next week.
