Commander Willie McCool

A memorial in Lubbock, Tx created as a tribute to Commander William "Willie" McCool, a Lubbock native, who perished along with his six crewmates when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up during re-entry over the Texas Panhandle on February 1, 2003.

"From our orbital vantage point, we observe an Earth without borders, full of peace, beauty and magnificence, and we pray that humanity as a whole can imagine a borderless world as we see it, and strive to live as one...in peace."

--Cmdr. Willie McCool, January 29, 2003