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our second inductee today is lieutenant

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helms has logged

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5064 hours in space and holds the world

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record for the longest spacewalk at

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eight hours and 56 minutes i got that

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right right

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she's a veteran of five space shuttle

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missions from march to august 201st

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helms became the first woman to live and

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serve aboard the international space

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station as a member of the expedition 2

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crew

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welcomed the first space tourist

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after a 12-year career with nasa that

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included 211 days in space helms

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returned to the united states air force

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in july 2002.

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in january of 2011 she became commander

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of the joint functional component

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command for space and 14th air force

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let's take a look now at some highlights

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is

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tonight's spacewalkers susan helms on

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the left jim voss on the right soon to

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make your touchdown

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so

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to present susan helms for induction

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into the united states astronaut hall of

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fame please welcome hall of fame

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astronaut and nasa administrator charles

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bolden thank you john thank you

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probably the happiest person here right

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now at least based on the look on his

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face

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is susan's dad over there it's

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incredible watching him as we go through

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this ceremony

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it's um

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it's an incredible honor for me this

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afternoon to introduce to you one of my

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heroes lieutenant general susan j helms

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united states air force

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john's already told you much about her

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official air force and nasa careers

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selected by nasa in january 1990 susan

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became an astronaut in july 1991.

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she flew on sts 54 in 93 sts 64 1994 sts

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78 1998 sts 101 2000 and served aboard

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the international space station as a

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member of the iss expedition 2 crew in

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2001

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a veteran of five flights she's logged

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over 5 000 hours in space including a

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world record eva of 8 hours and 56

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minutes as john

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uh just talked about her incredible

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talent and leadership ability became

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quite evident to me

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during her first flight sts 54

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on which she served as an iv or

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intervehicular crew member with

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responsibility for overseeing the

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conduct of the spacewalk on that flight

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having trained as an iv crew member

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crewman myself i watched in awe

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as she set the standard for iv crew

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members by the manner in which she

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perfectly and deftly choreographed the

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space walk

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under her direction

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we learned many lessons that would later

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prove key to construction of the

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international space station

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but enough of the technical side of

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susan

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let me share with you some of the jewels

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of her life from family and friends

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susan enjoys piano

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and other musical activities jogging

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traveling reading computers and cooking

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although susan will tell you she doesn't

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have time to cook anymore

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i remember when she checked into the

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astronaut office

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she joined the band max q

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singing lead vocals and playing keyboard

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and i'll have to tell you for anyone

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who's ever heard max q her addition to

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the band really helped bring them into

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the realm of playing real music

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susan is one of four sisters daughters

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to retired u.s air force lieutenant

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colonel pat and dory helms

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who reside in albuquerque new mexico

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the hall of fame class of 2001 is not

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only an all air force class in case you

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didn't notice it

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but it consists of two members who can

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claim firsts from the united states air

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force academy in colorado springs

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bo bobco as you've already heard was a

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member of the first graduating class of

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the academy in 1959

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and susan was one of 97 women to survive

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from a class of 157 women to graduate

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from the u.s air force academy in 1980

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the first class to ever graduate women

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according to her mom and dad dorian pat

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helms

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and this is a quote

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susan is the oldest of four daughters

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and was well-behaved quiet child

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she taught herself to read early

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and dory says i think the dr zeus books

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and other books that were being read to

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her helped

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but she was six when i first took her to

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a public library

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i remember her standing in the middle of

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a room full of books and asking me two

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questions

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how many books may i take home

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and

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when i've read all the books in this

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room

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may i start over

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as a teenager her main extracurricular

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interests were in the music field

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susan was a percussionist in the band

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and a pianist for the swing choir

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however in the fall of her senior year

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she read in the october 1975 parade

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magazine

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that they had opened the u.s air force

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academy to women

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and decided she wanted to apply

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it was

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okay with her mom and dad

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though somewhat of a surprise

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she had the grades in the leadership

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skill but according to them she really

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wasn't a jock

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she just told us or told them

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that she would need to get in shape and

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that she did

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her father pat

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who took on the task recalls that her

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first mile of running took 16 minutes

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that's pretty good for me

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i don't know about the rest of you

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i would love to have a 16 minute mile

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today

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but when the time arrived for the

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necessary physical test in january she

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was doing an eight minute mile and that

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day did her first ever pull-up

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hearing this story of susan's

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conditioning makes it easier for me to

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understand the story told to me by her

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sister nancy

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as the story goes and this is a quote

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while visiting our family in 2004 or

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2005

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susan asked if we minded if she took our

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dog

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a beagle named radar then six years old

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out for a jog

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of course we agreed my husband and i

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laughed and laughed while they were gone

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about whether susan would be able to

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keep up with the dog

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about 40 minutes later

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susan and radar returned from their run

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and we asked how it went

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in typical susan fashion she said fine

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well

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apparently radar had a different story

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he returned from the run and lay down on

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his bed

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radar didn't wait didn't get up for two

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we had no idea that susan was so fit

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she outran the dog

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now i personally love the story of radar

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and i must admit that it ended much much

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better than i ever imagined as i was

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reading it

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because every time i knew susan she was

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always in really good shape

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and so while we were in the astronaut

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office together as i was reading the

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story i expected to read that that susan

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would return holding the dog's dying

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body in her arms

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after she had run it into the ground

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the good thing is the story ended a lot

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better than that

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susan

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with mother's day coming up tomorrow

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your mom wanted me to add how special it

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was

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when you once wished her happy mother's

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day from space

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she also says i'll cry here

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she also says one of the biggest

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surprises of her life was during your

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space walk in march on march 11 2001

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when you paused and wished a happy 68th

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birthday

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in her words and i quote doesn't get any

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better than that

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susan continues to amaze us and we love

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her dearly

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sister marge margie helms carrich also

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reflects on what a very talented

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musician you are

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she told me of the day when you were

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kids and your dad took the four girls to

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the movie young frankenstein

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when we came home susan's

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susan sat down at the piano and started

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to play the music from the movie

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by ear

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i thought to myself that's just not

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she was also the piano player in the

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debonairs her high school musical

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ensemble and she loves the show glee

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also susan janet nancy and i are very

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close

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and in some combination have traveled

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quite a bit together over the years many

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trips to las vegas without the husbands

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and kids

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several trips meet trips to meet in

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paris lots of trips to new york city but

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the first trips were with my parents

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traveling across the united states as

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dad went to helicopter training before

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his time in vietnam uh dory you'll need

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to tell margie that he was actually

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going to b-52 training just a little

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difference

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margie continues we took our big green

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station wagon and drove from

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massachusetts to california stayed four

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months in return

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we have many family memories along the

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way

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sister nancy stutzman tells of the time

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susan was living on the iss when dennis

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tito the first space tourist that you've

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already heard about was preparing to go

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to space there's quite a bit of

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political commentary about it down here

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on earth as to whether it was a good

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idea should the russians be allowed to

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sell seats on the sius it was all over

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the news

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nancy says susan was on station and so

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she didn't have access to the plethora

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of news commentary

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so she asked her how she felt about

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dennis tito coming to space

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nancy says she'll never forget susan

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said while i'm living on the space

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station if anybody knocks at the door

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sister janet helms hansen reflects

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and this is a quote i just want to

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emphasize how much as a family we enjoy

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each other

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my parents

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instilled in us at a very young age how

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important family is

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we have all made an effort throughout

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the years to be at susan's many

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accomplishments however on the flip side

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susan has also made efforts to beat our

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accomplishments as well

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she's a wonderful sister and a wonderful

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friend

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there's a saying that you can choose

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your friends but you can't choose your

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family

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i think all of us would choose each

284
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other as friends and family

285
00:13:17,990 --> 00:13:14,639
from talking with your family members

286
00:13:20,150 --> 00:13:18,000
susan one thing is very very clear

287
00:13:22,870 --> 00:13:20,160
they all brag how amazing a person you

288
00:13:25,829 --> 00:13:22,880
are most of all how amazing you make

289
00:13:27,910 --> 00:13:25,839
them all feel they are to you

290
00:13:29,829 --> 00:13:27,920
i'll just share one more a few more

291
00:13:32,310 --> 00:13:29,839
thoughts before i sit down from one of

292
00:13:35,350 --> 00:13:32,320
your dear friends lisa reed who has to

293
00:13:36,949 --> 00:13:35,360
take credit for training both of us

294
00:13:38,790 --> 00:13:36,959
lisa is here to celebrate with you and

295
00:13:40,389 --> 00:13:38,800
your family this very special weekend

296
00:13:42,389 --> 00:13:40,399
according to lisa

297
00:13:45,269 --> 00:13:42,399
susan was a standout even as a new ass

298
00:13:46,470 --> 00:13:45,279
can astronaut candidate that's the term

299
00:13:51,189 --> 00:13:46,480
and

300
00:13:52,870 --> 00:13:51,199
into training having done all her prep

301
00:13:54,150 --> 00:13:52,880
work or homework

302
00:13:57,269 --> 00:13:54,160
and came to the and i'm going to give

303
00:13:59,670 --> 00:13:57,279
you some acronyms here okay the sst sms

304
00:14:02,310 --> 00:13:59,680
ses and mdf that's the

305
00:14:03,990 --> 00:14:02,320
single system trainer shuttle mission

306
00:14:08,870 --> 00:14:04,000
simulator

307
00:14:12,550 --> 00:14:08,880
manipulator development facility did i

308
00:14:16,470 --> 00:14:14,550
she always came into those sessions

309
00:14:17,829 --> 00:14:16,480
armed with knowledge and lots of pointed

310
00:14:19,829 --> 00:14:17,839
questions

311
00:14:22,389 --> 00:14:19,839
the instructors appreciated her

312
00:14:24,629 --> 00:14:22,399
preparation but many times

313
00:14:27,670 --> 00:14:24,639
we were the ones who left with crew

314
00:14:29,590 --> 00:14:27,680
questions to answer and get back to her

315
00:14:30,389 --> 00:14:29,600
so it's fair to say that while she was a

316
00:14:32,470 --> 00:14:30,399
student

317
00:14:34,949 --> 00:14:32,480
her instructors ended up learning more

318
00:14:37,350 --> 00:14:34,959
from all the questions they researched

319
00:14:39,910 --> 00:14:37,360
susan spent years off and on traveling

320
00:14:41,590 --> 00:14:39,920
to russia to train for iss mission and

321
00:14:43,910 --> 00:14:41,600
learning russian language

322
00:14:45,910 --> 00:14:43,920
many people never saw her dedication to

323
00:14:47,910 --> 00:14:45,920
preparation for this mission

324
00:14:49,269 --> 00:14:47,920
the expedition 2 training schedule was

325
00:14:51,030 --> 00:14:49,279
fully packed with little room for

326
00:14:53,030 --> 00:14:51,040
studying russian

327
00:14:54,870 --> 00:14:53,040
she would set the alarm and get up at 3

328
00:14:57,350 --> 00:14:54,880
30 to get her russian language study

329
00:14:58,790 --> 00:14:57,360
time in by the time she flew she was

330
00:15:01,030 --> 00:14:58,800
pretty fluent

331
00:15:04,470 --> 00:15:01,040
lisa also relates that susan loved her

332
00:15:05,509 --> 00:15:04,480
time on the iss but being a rabid x-file

333
00:15:07,590 --> 00:15:05,519
fan

334
00:15:09,350 --> 00:15:07,600
she fretted over how she was going to

335
00:15:12,389 --> 00:15:09,360
get to see the episodes she would be

336
00:15:14,150 --> 00:15:12,399
missing weekly while on board

337
00:15:15,269 --> 00:15:14,160
luckily

338
00:15:18,069 --> 00:15:15,279
for her

339
00:15:19,910 --> 00:15:18,079
her support team was able to record them

340
00:15:21,910 --> 00:15:19,920
and when either a shuttle or progress

341
00:15:24,710 --> 00:15:21,920
mission was there she relished the

342
00:15:26,790 --> 00:15:24,720
chance to watch all the episodes at once

343
00:15:30,069 --> 00:15:26,800
and then trade emails with her x-file

344
00:15:33,829 --> 00:15:30,079
fans friends watching on earth

345
00:15:35,749 --> 00:15:33,839
this past june january 2011 is as as

346
00:15:37,670 --> 00:15:35,759
john has already said

347
00:15:38,629 --> 00:15:37,680
susan helms was promoted to lieutenant

348
00:15:40,870 --> 00:15:38,639
general

349
00:15:42,870 --> 00:15:40,880
and assumed duties as commander 14th air

350
00:15:44,629 --> 00:15:42,880
force air force base command and

351
00:15:47,990 --> 00:15:44,639
commander joint functional component

352
00:15:50,470 --> 00:15:48,000
command for space u.s strategic command

353
00:15:52,310 --> 00:15:50,480
with this milestone in her life

354
00:15:53,670 --> 00:15:52,320
this daughter of a career air force

355
00:15:55,910 --> 00:15:53,680
pilot

356
00:15:57,189 --> 00:15:55,920
lieutenant general helms became the

357
00:15:59,189 --> 00:15:57,199
first woman

358
00:16:01,269 --> 00:15:59,199
and astronaut to take command at

359
00:16:12,870 --> 00:16:01,279
vandenberg air force base

360
00:16:17,189 --> 00:16:14,790
ladies and gentlemen it's my honor and

361
00:16:24,629 --> 00:16:17,199
privilege to present my hero and my

362
00:16:54,230 --> 00:16:26,870
and now the presentation of the hall of

363
00:17:04,150 --> 00:16:58,069
boy charlie you really got to be there

364
00:17:08,630 --> 00:17:06,309
i you know i can they you all don't know

365
00:17:10,630 --> 00:17:08,640
this but there's a television

366
00:17:11,990 --> 00:17:10,640
that's behind this table up front and we

367
00:17:13,510 --> 00:17:12,000
can see

368
00:17:16,230 --> 00:17:13,520
uh what you're seeing on the forward

369
00:17:18,870 --> 00:17:16,240
screens and i know my hair is all over

370
00:17:20,710 --> 00:17:18,880
the place

371
00:17:23,110 --> 00:17:20,720
but then i thought you know in space it

372
00:17:25,350 --> 00:17:23,120
was all over the place anyway so it's

373
00:17:27,590 --> 00:17:25,360
probably appropriate i just can't

374
00:17:29,430 --> 00:17:27,600
control it

375
00:17:31,029 --> 00:17:29,440
but in any case i'm going to take a page

376
00:17:33,350 --> 00:17:31,039
from bill's book

377
00:17:35,590 --> 00:17:33,360
bill said that it takes thousands to

378
00:17:36,710 --> 00:17:35,600
build a space shuttle program and i'm

379
00:17:39,110 --> 00:17:36,720
going to tell you that it takes

380
00:17:42,789 --> 00:17:39,120
thousands to build an astronaut

381
00:17:44,950 --> 00:17:42,799
and so all i want to do here

382
00:17:48,390 --> 00:17:44,960
because there's not much more to say is

383
00:17:50,310 --> 00:17:48,400
to just thank the people that basically

384
00:17:52,070 --> 00:17:50,320
got me here

385
00:17:53,669 --> 00:17:52,080
in this point of recognition which by

386
00:17:55,669 --> 00:17:53,679
the way i'm so very thankful to the

387
00:17:58,150 --> 00:17:55,679
foundation and the committee for

388
00:18:00,710 --> 00:17:58,160
um picking me for this it truly is a

389
00:18:03,190 --> 00:18:00,720
humbling humbling honor and i admire all

390
00:18:05,430 --> 00:18:03,200
of you so very much

391
00:18:07,190 --> 00:18:05,440
it is quite surreal to stand up here

392
00:18:09,270 --> 00:18:07,200
among these giants

393
00:18:11,110 --> 00:18:09,280
on the stage and the others who are part

394
00:18:13,669 --> 00:18:11,120
of them that aren't here today

395
00:18:16,070 --> 00:18:13,679
and uh to be welcomed into this it is uh

396
00:18:17,830 --> 00:18:16,080
kind of a speechless moment really um

397
00:18:19,909 --> 00:18:17,840
and i want to thank all of you it's upon

398
00:18:21,430 --> 00:18:19,919
your shoulders of course that we are all

399
00:18:23,590 --> 00:18:21,440
standing in our in this younger

400
00:18:25,510 --> 00:18:23,600
generation i'm a part of but uh we would

401
00:18:26,950 --> 00:18:25,520
not be where we are today in space

402
00:18:29,110 --> 00:18:26,960
without all of you doing what you have

403
00:18:38,310 --> 00:18:29,120
done so please a round of applause for

404
00:18:42,789 --> 00:18:41,029
and and that was my first thank you i i

405
00:18:44,789 --> 00:18:42,799
will give you my next one i will name a

406
00:18:47,270 --> 00:18:44,799
couple of names

407
00:18:49,750 --> 00:18:47,280
i when i was a kid i love math and

408
00:18:51,669 --> 00:18:49,760
science and i love the air force

409
00:18:54,230 --> 00:18:51,679
and um of course

410
00:18:57,350 --> 00:18:54,240
you're all probably wondering

411
00:18:59,350 --> 00:18:57,360
joining the air force probably wasn't uh

412
00:19:00,950 --> 00:18:59,360
it was a no-brainer but the question was

413
00:19:02,789 --> 00:19:00,960
what about the astronaut part and so i

414
00:19:05,430 --> 00:19:02,799
would like to thank dick covey

415
00:19:07,830 --> 00:19:05,440
who isn't here today but uh when you

416
00:19:08,789 --> 00:19:07,840
think of who it was that probably got me

417
00:19:10,390 --> 00:19:08,799
really

418
00:19:12,070 --> 00:19:10,400
sparked to go ahead and put my

419
00:19:14,150 --> 00:19:12,080
application in for the program it was

420
00:19:16,549 --> 00:19:14,160
him he he actually came up to me and

421
00:19:19,430 --> 00:19:16,559
said why don't you apply to the program

422
00:19:21,590 --> 00:19:19,440
um and that until that moment until he

423
00:19:24,549 --> 00:19:21,600
said that i didn't ever think i would be

424
00:19:26,390 --> 00:19:24,559
competitive for the program and so

425
00:19:28,310 --> 00:19:26,400
because of him i really did get

426
00:19:30,870 --> 00:19:28,320
incentivized to go ahead and submit my

427
00:19:34,470 --> 00:19:30,880
application and a little known to me he

428
00:19:39,029 --> 00:19:36,630
when i when i showed up a few months

429
00:19:41,190 --> 00:19:39,039
later um he was one of 12. he didn't

430
00:19:42,789 --> 00:19:41,200
have the only vote but uh charlie you

431
00:19:45,510 --> 00:19:42,799
were on that selection board too if i

432
00:19:47,990 --> 00:19:45,520
recall um it was a it was a fun

433
00:19:49,590 --> 00:19:48,000
experience but but really

434
00:19:52,470 --> 00:19:49,600
uh dick was the one that sort of got

435
00:19:54,870 --> 00:19:52,480
this ball rolling and when we showed up

436
00:19:56,710 --> 00:19:54,880
the senior astronauts by that time they

437
00:19:57,909 --> 00:19:56,720
were there were a few folks left from

438
00:20:00,230 --> 00:19:57,919
the apollo program but they were

439
00:20:02,630 --> 00:20:00,240
primarily the shuttle astronauts at the

440
00:20:04,470 --> 00:20:02,640
time i got there in 1990 and

441
00:20:07,350 --> 00:20:04,480
and i have to thank them they set

442
00:20:10,070 --> 00:20:07,360
basically a standard of excellence in

443
00:20:13,110 --> 00:20:10,080
all that we do and uh nowhere was that

444
00:20:15,110 --> 00:20:13,120
more evident in how they tried to mentor

445
00:20:17,750 --> 00:20:15,120
us younger astronauts as we got ready

446
00:20:20,310 --> 00:20:17,760
for the shuttle flights then um than to

447
00:20:22,390 --> 00:20:20,320
think back on my rookie flight with my

448
00:20:24,870 --> 00:20:22,400
crew members who are all not rookies one

449
00:20:26,549 --> 00:20:24,880
of whom is here today don mcmonagle and

450
00:20:28,870 --> 00:20:26,559
if any of you know don mcmonagle you'll

451
00:20:31,350 --> 00:20:28,880
know that he is a man of perfection

452
00:20:33,190 --> 00:20:31,360
and knows uh what the standard really is

453
00:20:35,350 --> 00:20:33,200
in order to do this kind of business and

454
00:20:37,830 --> 00:20:35,360
and so all of the astronauts who are in

455
00:20:39,909 --> 00:20:37,840
the office mentoring us new folks uh and

456
00:20:41,909 --> 00:20:39,919
don you and the rest of the folks on 54

457
00:20:43,750 --> 00:20:41,919
that mentored me on that's what really

458
00:20:46,549 --> 00:20:43,760
drove me to come into the training team

459
00:20:48,950 --> 00:20:46,559
and ask all those hard questions was the

460
00:20:50,390 --> 00:20:48,960
astronauts behind me on my crew saying

461
00:20:52,070 --> 00:20:50,400
this is the level you have to know

462
00:20:53,350 --> 00:20:52,080
things and now let's see if you can

463
00:20:54,310 --> 00:20:53,360
figure out if the training team knows

464
00:20:57,669 --> 00:20:54,320
them too

465
00:20:59,909 --> 00:20:57,679
so um it was a it was a great

466
00:21:01,750 --> 00:20:59,919
a great dynamic to be a part of uh the

467
00:21:03,350 --> 00:21:01,760
training teams i'll mention them that

468
00:21:04,950 --> 00:21:03,360
they're part of the thousands it takes

469
00:21:06,470 --> 00:21:04,960
to build an astronaut

470
00:21:07,909 --> 00:21:06,480
you meant you already heard that lisa

471
00:21:09,190 --> 00:21:07,919
reed is here today there are other folks

472
00:21:11,510 --> 00:21:09,200
i'm sure in the audience that are here

473
00:21:14,470 --> 00:21:11,520
today the training teams uh very

474
00:21:16,630 --> 00:21:14,480
thankless job they're dealing with uh

475
00:21:18,230 --> 00:21:16,640
the astronaut pre-madonnas that we are

476
00:21:19,750 --> 00:21:18,240
everybody thinks it's all about us it's

477
00:21:22,470 --> 00:21:19,760
not it's about the program and it's

478
00:21:24,149 --> 00:21:22,480
about the great adventure but the

479
00:21:26,070 --> 00:21:24,159
the reason that we look so good at what

480
00:21:29,350 --> 00:21:26,080
we do is because we were trained that

481
00:21:31,430 --> 00:21:29,360
way and so the folks who do all of the

482
00:21:33,110 --> 00:21:31,440
payload integration all of the work with

483
00:21:34,630 --> 00:21:33,120
this to interface to the space shuttle

484
00:21:37,029 --> 00:21:34,640
all of the training for us they're the

485
00:21:39,990 --> 00:21:37,039
ones that that do build us into what we

486
00:21:41,430 --> 00:21:40,000
are and um make us look good and so i

487
00:21:43,430 --> 00:21:41,440
want to thank all of the folks who are a

488
00:21:45,270 --> 00:21:43,440
part of that

489
00:21:48,070 --> 00:21:45,280
uh i do have to throw in a thank you to

490
00:21:50,630 --> 00:21:48,080
hoot gibson he's the one that um really

491
00:21:53,270 --> 00:21:50,640
was the impetus of me joining max q

492
00:21:54,549 --> 00:21:53,280
and um

493
00:21:55,430 --> 00:21:54,559
and so

494
00:21:57,350 --> 00:21:55,440
who

495
00:21:59,270 --> 00:21:57,360
now i know why he thought it would raise

496
00:22:02,549 --> 00:21:59,280
the level of the band and that was what

497
00:22:04,230 --> 00:22:02,559
mattered but he um he was

498
00:22:05,750 --> 00:22:04,240
he was definitely with the other max

499
00:22:07,990 --> 00:22:05,760
cube band members and through including

500
00:22:09,590 --> 00:22:08,000
carl waltz my dear friend

501
00:22:11,830 --> 00:22:09,600
basically they

502
00:22:13,909 --> 00:22:11,840
they showed what it meant to not only

503
00:22:16,470 --> 00:22:13,919
work hard but to play hard and so i

504
00:22:18,230 --> 00:22:16,480
think max q was one of those things in

505
00:22:19,669 --> 00:22:18,240
the astronaut band where that was our

506
00:22:22,149 --> 00:22:19,679
way of

507
00:22:23,830 --> 00:22:22,159
after working so very hard we just got

508
00:22:25,669 --> 00:22:23,840
together and we played music together

509
00:22:27,830 --> 00:22:25,679
and that was playing hard too

510
00:22:29,990 --> 00:22:27,840
and the the byproduct that we were

511
00:22:31,190 --> 00:22:30,000
actually able to book a few gigs

512
00:22:33,830 --> 00:22:31,200
um

513
00:22:35,029 --> 00:22:33,840
was was a neat byproduct but when i look

514
00:22:36,630 --> 00:22:35,039
back on it

515
00:22:38,710 --> 00:22:36,640
i think that where when you're an

516
00:22:39,750 --> 00:22:38,720
all-astronaut band

517
00:22:44,630 --> 00:22:39,760
everybody's everybody's gonna tell you

518
00:22:48,070 --> 00:22:45,830
so i

519
00:22:50,230 --> 00:22:48,080
i always wondered about that after but

520
00:22:52,870 --> 00:22:50,240
uh it was a great it was a great thing

521
00:22:55,110 --> 00:22:52,880
to be a part of and um and of course who

522
00:22:57,350 --> 00:22:55,120
had handed that as well as the others

523
00:22:59,190 --> 00:22:57,360
and and then i i do have to mention bob

524
00:23:01,590 --> 00:22:59,200
cabana because after flying several

525
00:23:03,510 --> 00:23:01,600
flights you know the office does the

526
00:23:06,390 --> 00:23:03,520
flight assignments and then this

527
00:23:09,750 --> 00:23:06,400
this moment came where i was no longer a

528
00:23:12,470 --> 00:23:09,760
part of a mature program at that point

529
00:23:14,549 --> 00:23:12,480
in the 90s called the space shuttle but

530
00:23:16,470 --> 00:23:14,559
me and a few others were basically

531
00:23:18,470 --> 00:23:16,480
identified by bob cabana who was chief

532
00:23:20,710 --> 00:23:18,480
of the office of that time to go

533
00:23:23,270 --> 00:23:20,720
do what astronauts need to do at times

534
00:23:24,310 --> 00:23:23,280
which is to go and start up a new space

535
00:23:26,549 --> 00:23:24,320
program

536
00:23:28,310 --> 00:23:26,559
a lot of the folks you see here

537
00:23:31,190 --> 00:23:28,320
they were part of the early days of the

538
00:23:32,630 --> 00:23:31,200
shuttle program and the moon program

539
00:23:34,950 --> 00:23:32,640
and uh in

540
00:23:36,950 --> 00:23:34,960
in scott's case even earlier

541
00:23:38,630 --> 00:23:36,960
and and me and a few others were

542
00:23:41,110 --> 00:23:38,640
selected to be a part of the space

543
00:23:43,909 --> 00:23:41,120
station program and uh bob made that

544
00:23:45,830 --> 00:23:43,919
choice and at the time we didn't know it

545
00:23:47,750 --> 00:23:45,840
but i've told him this since it was one

546
00:23:49,350 --> 00:23:47,760
of the most amazing things i've ever had

547
00:23:52,390 --> 00:23:49,360
the chance to do which was to be a part

548
00:23:54,310 --> 00:23:52,400
of a space outpost in space

549
00:23:55,909 --> 00:23:54,320
that truly was a human adventure that

550
00:23:58,230 --> 00:23:55,919
has no equal

551
00:23:59,029 --> 00:23:58,240
and i and i want to thank bob for making

552
00:24:09,110 --> 00:23:59,039
that

553
00:24:10,070 --> 00:24:09,120
the right way and i think we succeeded

554
00:24:13,430 --> 00:24:10,080
but

555
00:24:15,909 --> 00:24:13,440
and that's those folks that i

556
00:24:17,990 --> 00:24:15,919
um basically flew with all of the crew

557
00:24:20,230 --> 00:24:18,000
members that i flew with i drew more

558
00:24:22,549 --> 00:24:20,240
from them than they ever drew from me

559
00:24:24,470 --> 00:24:22,559
and uh and and frankly i think the

560
00:24:26,789 --> 00:24:24,480
reason i'm standing here before you

561
00:24:27,669 --> 00:24:26,799
right now is because of all the

562
00:24:34,710 --> 00:24:27,679
the

563
00:24:35,430 --> 00:24:34,720
teams that basically made us all become

564
00:24:39,590 --> 00:24:35,440
as

565
00:24:40,870 --> 00:24:39,600
and then there's of course one obvious

566
00:24:43,029 --> 00:24:40,880
thank you i haven't mentioned yet and

567
00:24:45,110 --> 00:24:43,039
that's my family

568
00:24:48,230 --> 00:24:45,120
i'm debating whether to thank now thank

569
00:24:50,630 --> 00:24:48,240
them now after what charlie said but

570
00:24:52,390 --> 00:24:50,640
but the bottom line is every everything

571
00:24:53,590 --> 00:24:52,400
that they've said

572
00:24:55,909 --> 00:24:53,600
has been

573
00:24:57,669 --> 00:24:55,919
um bringing me to tears just thinking

574
00:25:00,070 --> 00:24:57,679
about it but it is true what he said

575
00:25:02,310 --> 00:25:00,080
certainly which is that my family means

576
00:25:04,950 --> 00:25:02,320
everything to me my mom my dad my three

577
00:25:06,549 --> 00:25:04,960
sisters and all of my extended family

578
00:25:09,350 --> 00:25:06,559
and um

579
00:25:12,149 --> 00:25:09,360
and that when i was on space station

580
00:25:13,510 --> 00:25:12,159
those many months and i remember

581
00:25:15,590 --> 00:25:13,520
thinking i've got to be in one of the

582
00:25:16,470 --> 00:25:15,600
most amazing places a human being can

583
00:25:18,630 --> 00:25:16,480
ever be

584
00:25:20,789 --> 00:25:18,640
in this really grand adventure

585
00:25:22,230 --> 00:25:20,799
looking at earth which is so very very

586
00:25:23,750 --> 00:25:22,240
beautiful

587
00:25:26,230 --> 00:25:23,760
from afar

588
00:25:28,630 --> 00:25:26,240
it really i it hit me at that point that

589
00:25:30,710 --> 00:25:28,640
if you don't have family

590
00:25:33,029 --> 00:25:30,720
and keep tied to family it really

591
00:25:34,710 --> 00:25:33,039
doesn't mean all that much and so

592
00:25:37,029 --> 00:25:34,720
i want to thank my family always for

593
00:25:39,590 --> 00:25:37,039
being there and supporting me because

594
00:25:42,789 --> 00:25:39,600
truly uh i'm who i am because of who you

595
00:25:45,110 --> 00:25:42,799
are so thank you very much and again

596
00:25:47,269 --> 00:25:45,120
thanks very much to the committee and

597
00:25:51,190 --> 00:25:47,279
the foundation for honoring me uh it

598
00:25:53,269 --> 00:25:51,200
truly is a humbling moment for me and um

599
00:25:55,430 --> 00:25:53,279
and i nothing in the bottom of my heart

600
00:25:57,110 --> 00:25:55,440
nothing will will surely be able to be

601
00:26:03,430 --> 00:25:57,120
said that that tells you how much this

602
00:26:07,909 --> 00:26:05,830
congratulations susan helms and welcome