CC-AVclips


Audio/Video Clips from the CyberCemetery (Transcript)

Spring 2007

 

9-11 Commission (National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States)

video archive:

http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/archive/index.htm

 

First Public Hearing (clips)

Held March 31 - April 1, 2003 at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in New York City.

Excerpts from the Commissioner's Opening Statements

URL: http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/archive/hearing1/2003033101_high.asx

filename: 2003033101_high.asx

 

0:46 - 1:02

Thomas H. Kean, Commission Chair

"Their questions fall into three basic categories: First, they wanted to know what led to the terrorist attacks upon our country September 11th, that took the lives of almost 3,000 Americans and forever changed the lives of millions of others. There was not a person alive that day whose life was not changed in some way by September 11th. Those who perished in those attacks or those who were wounded had done nothing to warrant it. They were going about their business. They were doing their jobs. They were flying to see family or to conduct business or to spend time with loved ones or going or returning from vacations."

 

5:30 - 6:12

Thomas H. Kean, Commission Chair

"As Chairman of the Commission, I want to say that I consider this task the most important part of our work. We must not allow the people who were struck down to simply become statistics. Each represented a life that was interrupted. All had families, colleagues and friends who care deeply about them, all who perished had dreams that are now unfulfilled. All became the first casualties of what has become a war against the United States, declared by international terrorists."

 

12:11 - 14:18

Thomas H. Kean, Commission Chair

"For eight years I have had the honor to serve as Governor of the State of New Jersey. I was born here in this great city, attended graduate school at Columbia, met my wife here. I've spent almost my entire life living and working around this region. I remember when the World Trade Center was built. I must have been in it hundreds of times. I appointed half the commissions to the Port Authority when I was Governor. I was well acquainted with many of its employees and knew some of those who died on September 11th as friends.

 

As a private citizen, I sat on the board of a company who lost over 80 people on that terrible day. I delivered the eulogy at that memorial service. As a university president, I counseled students who were grieving on that terrible day and afterwards. Not far from where I live, a young pastor of a rural church that serves no more than two- or three-thousand families told the local newspaper he had performed nine funeral masses on a single day. I didn't lose any member of my family on that particular day, but I did lose a lot of friends in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and that flight.

 

Adlai Stevenson said, when he learned of John Kennedy's assassination, each of us who was alive will carry the memory of that particular death until the day of ours. That is how we feel about September 11th."

 

Columbia Accident Investigation Board

hearing archives:

http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/caib/events/public_hearings/default.html

 

First Public Hearing (clip)

Held March 6th, 2003 at the University of Houston/Clear Lake.

URL: http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/caib/events/public_hearings/20030306/default.html

filename: caib030603.wmv / caib030603.rm

 

1:30 - 1:56

General Jeff Howell, director of Johnson Space Center (first witness)

"I'm pleased to appear before the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. It's now 33 days after the tragic loss of the courageous crew of Space Shuttle Columbia. We are deeply appreciative of the efforts of the board to determine what caused the loss of Columbia and its crew, and we pledge to continue to cooperate and support your efforts in every possible way."

 

Second Public Hearing (clips)

Held March 17th, 2003 at the Hilton Houston in Clear Lake, Texas.

URL: http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/caib/events/public_hearings/20030317/default.html

filename: 20030317_nasa_80k.wmv / 20030317_nasa_80k.rm

 

17:52 - 18:16

Dr. William Ailor, director of the Center for Orbital Reentry Debris Studies from Aerospace Corporation

"The big brown tank you see over there is about a 575-pound stainless steel tank. It landed about 50 yards from a farmer's house here in Texas. He was not pleased. The woman you see on the top right actually was brushed on the shoulder by a piece of the debris. Again, she was very lucky; but it's a very lightweight piece."

 

20:10 - 20:45

Dr. William Ailor, director of the Center for Orbital Reentry Debris Studies from Aerospace Corporation

" One of the things that we did was we were able to get a portion of this fragment that brushed Lottie Williams on the shoulder and we actually wanted to find out if, in fact, it did come from the launch vehicle or from that vehicle. We analyzed that and found that – if you take the next page – that it did. The trajectory time was consistent. She was out walking at around 3:30 in the morning and actually saw the reentry and then this thing came down and brushed her on the shoulder and she recovered that."