Challenger: President Reagan's Challenger Disaster Speech - 1/28/86

[SkylineShadow]

owl city!

[Gomek2]

I miss you Ronnie!!

[blueocean1975]

My point, one of the best President in 3 decades.....by far.....

[14megasxlr]

owl city got me here.

[bamsb90]

I was born in '95. I look at today's president and then I look at this man. I can see from watching his speech in Berlin and this that he is a model of what a president should be, moral, serious, strong and truthful. I would be honored to cast a vote for him. God Bless, Mr. Reagan and Challenger crew.

[ChihuahuaboyDH]

I'm crying watching this video right now. Ronald Reagan's presidency was the greatest eight years in our nation's history. President Reagan was a man who truly spoke from his heart, & not from a teleprompter. Oh, how I miss the 1980s & Ronald Reagan's presidential run in office! There will never, ever be another era like the Reagan era in our nation's history. He was truly a leader of the people who cared about & made America great. Bless you, Mr. Reagan. R.I.P.. R.I.P., Challenger Crew.

[zoid9969]

@ChihuahuaboyDH Do you think that President Reagan wasn't reading this from a teleprompter?

[reaganremembered]

@zoid9969 Perhaps he was, however, you can clearly see that he felt every word he was saying. He was a man of strength, honor, and compassion.

[LeAnakin]

I love this video and this speech. I first heard the song and on this day January 18th 2011, on the 26th anniversary of the Challenger Explosion, I mourn the loss that people had that day 26 years ago. I truly love Ronald Reagan. We need another president like him. He is an inspiration to me and hopefully all of you. Thank you Owl City and Ronald Reagan. And ay all the glory be to God...

[FGN123]

I'm a Democrat, and I don't mind saying this is an incredible speech, especially the ending.

[Christianrocker1990]

Chills.

[alwaysbehumble]

6 Obama worshipers had watched this video

[Tricky205]

Can someone please clone him so we can have another real president??? All the rest since have sucked!!

[DoubleTalkingJive]

@SuperMike82 Dude we lost 58,000 in Vietnam. It's hard to say that "nothing" happened during the Cold War.

[zx1400a7f]

I remember my principal rolling in the TV, Tears in the eyes of the teachers and later that night my own mother's tears, my dad was silent, it was like a nuclear bomb had hit the house. Then, here was Reagan, yes bad things happen to good people, but life goes on. Stearn powerful words of a true leader.

[seka1986]

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY GIPPER.

[aaronpoloni]

I remember sitting in my 2nd grade classroom watching the launch live. I was just a kid, but this is a day I will never forget!!

[aznp14y4]

6 people will never touch the face of God.

[macarion]

@aznp14y4 Haha God doesn't exist

[djintheatl]

I am not a fan of Reagan AT ALL, but this was an inspiring speech.

[GeorgiaKev]

@djintheatl I agree. Peggy Noonan wrote the speech.

[TheJayEffkay]

This is what an American President should be

He was the great example

Thank ya sir - for showing me the way....

[CapPicard]

And to think that barely 2 weeks after that, my grandfather died... :(

I think we had some kind of penpal thing going on (through the Weekly Reader periodical we read in grade school). I don't know if we watched the Challenger launch or not.

[pettyofficer30]

@CapPicard I remember my class doing the penpal thing to Reagan. We all recieved a letter from him and Nancy that had a message signed by them both with their dog's paw print.

[donbenny100]

My God, I miss voting for this man.

[MichaelOfTroyWasHere]

@donbenny100 I wish I was alive to vote for him.

[madd871]

i missed this presdient

[TenteixSaigo]

I'd love to see Obama give a speech this amazing. Reagan is honestly the greatest president of the modern age.

[PatriotConservative1]

@TenteixSaigo Amen!!!!

[roosevelthighschool]

I can only imagine what was going on in his head as he was writing this speech.

[jd358601]

@roosevelthighschool Probably nothing since it was written by Peggy Noonan

[jdm19012]

Why would someone dislike this?

[jrjuul]

What happen to these Republicans?

[whitenightfl]

God bless Challenger's astronauts' souls

[blazer640036]

God....He is amazing... I wish we had him back...

RIP Mr. President....

[JOCKATEO]

hes a icon when i think of the 80s hes the big part

[dzonetwentyeight]

Owl City's song Galaxies and the intro January 28, 1986 is dedicated to this special moment and is a beautiful listen. Please do yourself the honor of hearing this incredible song for yourself. Thank you.

[chefjaike]

we'll never have a president like this again.....he was like your daddy, your grandaddy, and yourself all rolled into one calming idea.

god bless

[revbleech]

@chefjaike my daddy, grandaddy, nor myself ever bankrolled genocide in Central America

[martymcfett]

Sure the Contras were no angels, but genocide on their part would be an understatement. It's not like the Sandinistas ruthlessly targeted countless native American tribes for "mass extermination" and persecution to bring them into their "class-less society." Hmmm... oh that's right, the Soviet Union laundered genocide here, and now Obama's doing the same thing in Libya; the Rebels are slaughtering black Arabs... at the expense of the American taxpayer.

[rocketboyjames]

3 douche bags!

[kcufmalsi]

What a guy!!!!!

[LTDANMAN44]

and now we have no space program. it pisses me off

[dogboy0912]

I wish there were such great speakers these days.

[gtjacobs]

What an amazingly talented speaker, and what a way to rise to a difficult occasion. I don't agree with his politics, but my hat goes off to the man.

[M4SSDEBATER]

Owl City brought me here. truly great hearing the whole thing. even better than i imagined

[davebex13]

This man swept the floor compared to Obama.

[girzone]

What an amazing man. That's a leader. A true leader.

[celmser]

@girzone i agree. this speech was WAY better than obama's tucson speech when he called for civility. that is code for stfu and stop criticizing me,

[Survivor87]

When you were born in the early 80's and saw this man on TV as a child, it formed your idea of what a president should be. At least it did with me.

[bayushizero]

@Survivor87 Actually, I was born in the 70s, but was a child throughout the 80s. He did indeed give me the idea of what a President should be.

I well remember this day, sitting at home watching the shuttle launch (as I invariably did as I was HUGE into the space program as a kid). The shuttle explosion was hard for me, but luckily I learned quickly that space is dangerous. None of the 'cool' stuff I saw on TV was safe.

[gun4hire93]

I was born in 1974. Thankfully I remember him as president. I grew up with 2 Dem's as parents, and even at a young age he made sense. And to this day I still get chills when I hear him say, and now I want to speak to the children who saw this. Because I was one of those children. And since that time, I still do feel that any one in any office has talked to me. more like at me. This man was a gift from above.

[musclecarluvr1]

The best President since Kennedy....You were a gift to this Country.

R.I.P. Mr. Reagan

[67Bellingham]

I remember watching the Challenger launch in school. I remembered being stunned at the sight of watching the shuttle explode in mid flight. I also remembered seeing the teachers crying, although I guess I wasn't fully able to grasp the concept of such a tragic loss of life at that time.

[SuperMike82]

I barely remember the '80s - I was born in '82 - but I remember how much simpler life was when we had Reagan as President and how the only threat on our minds was the USSR - now it's those idiots in the Middle East attacking US bases and warships, attacking us on our own goddamn soil! I think I'd rather have grown up under the threat of the USSR than now - and I say that because NOTHING FUCKING HAPPENED during the Cold War! that being said, I think Reagan had the most powerful speeches

[kelbel0831]

I was so proud of this speech. He was such a great president and was very sad when he passed on. Goodbye Mr. President.

[WimpBastard]

Per Ardua Ad Astra

[Moralvorstellung28]

We all miss Reagan. Look what happened to us now. All this political correctness and nigger lovin' bullshit. The 80's were the last great decade of America. America is NOT great any longer. We have no real stand up men any longer. We are a country of pussies. Now we are in a fix!!!!!

[81tflores]

@Moralvorstellung28 I couldn't agree more.. I was only a kid in the 80's & it was great.. Now everyone gets there feelings hurt or you can't say what you want to say..

[benbob9000]

Owl City <3

[Twilly47]

i miss voting for that man

[Arella0407]

Reagan's speach was pure poetry. Its so hard to imagine what happened as i was not yet born when this occured. Rest in Peace you brave seven men and women and Rest in Peace Mr. President.

[KOHF34]

I've read that this really ate at Reagan, but boy did he give a powerful speech when everyone in the nation was in a stunned state. RIP Mr. President.

[TheJoshea72]

"and slipped the surly bonds on earth to touch the face of God"

[UberNoob33]

@TheJoshea72 I broke down crying at this point.

[woody2327]

I was in the Army. We were in Panama. We had been in the field, came back to the barracks and noticed all the flags were at half mast.

[rudemood2011]

I was a freshman in high school when this happened. Can't believe it's been that long ago

[eyewould]

I've never been a fan of Reagan but this was an exceptional speech.

[mlc2005]

I don't agree with all of his politics, but this, without a doubt, is one of the most moving speeches in the history of America. Absolutely brilliant.

[TheRobert2254]

@mlc2005 well obama suck reagan was the reel president

[APiece0fToast69]

reagan always seemed like a "grandfather-like" president to me. he had a soft and comforting voice no matter the situation

[Guitarsthatkill]

Without wishing to seem facetious: It occured to me that the only other people who could have pulled this speech off were John Wayne, Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, and Patrick Stewart as Jean Luc Picard.

[LucyGar23]

I was in kindergarten when this happen.. I remember watching this live and being upset because they interrupted a TV show i was watching.. I stayed home from school that afternoon and watched this speech with my parents and asked my parents.. was he the best president they could remember?

[superDay6]

Most Touching Speech

I'm literally crying right now

[Sweetheart12922]

I'm wondering how someone could dislike this speech?

[danbeatless]

I was no fan of Reagen, but did, and still does, move me to tears.

[1021ajr]

One of the best lines ever in a Presidential speech - "slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God." He was truly a great communicator.

P.S. Do the internet trolls really need to trash President Obama here, in this context, too?

[eldrama2]

@1021ajr Actually, it was a quote from a poem called "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.; but, it was still a moving selection.

[ravensnaketotem]

@1021ajr I think the reason so many trash him when they view the speeches of Reagan is that Reagan wrote his own speeches and gave them purely from the heart, just watch Reagan's D-Day commemorative speech and then watch Obama's and you can see that if you compare the speeches with the visuals of the people giving them you can see that Obama's heart was not truly in the words that he was speaking it was like watching someone give a good speech but you can tell he doesn't believe what he is says

[RhetoricalDoc]

Do I miss this wonderful man!

[dcc914]

A real PRESIDENT !

[gruder18]

this event made me interested in science and reading in general. it really impacted me. i'm sure i wasn't the only who started reading more.

[sac010cool]

The best gifts come in small packages...Thank you Ron

[mjn76]

If only President Obama had the maturity to give a speech such as this.

[cmloz]

Four minutes. Bill Clinton took 9 minutes at the memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing, and today Barack Obama took more than half an hour for the Tucson shooting memorial,complete with in appropriate cheering fans and posing for photos afterward. Guess which president will be best remembered by history?

[jammies3]

THIS was a PRESIDENT!!! Lord, how I miss him -- but he'd be HEARTBROKEN if he saw our country now!!!

[tealmarlin]

ok, I just want to know why are they Heros? A hero to me is someone who doesnt want to do something, but does it anyway for the sake of someone.Im training to become an airline pilot, what I will do is very good for alot of people, and it could be dangerous, but im not a hero, I chose to do this knowing the risks. A true hero is very rare..

R.I.P. To the Crew of Challenger, someday our spirts will meet.

[MrDeCorey]

Rest in peace Ronald Reagan I will always remember you.

[1975krw]

i was one of the children watching this.. i remember my teacher crying and not understanding what had actually happened.. he was such a good man for speaking to the children and helping them understand.. a beautiful human being.. a true American

[TheSkyHitler]

If you close your eyes he sounds just like leonard nimoy aka Spock.

[katrol72]

Such an eloquent speaker. His speech, his voice and his face was evident of how much anguish he was feeling. And I love how he loved America. After him there was no one...we need another great president. Someone who loves this country from the depth of their soul. I love and I'm passionate about this country...why can't they love and are passionate about it too?

[Rick123691]

He didn't just love a country, he loved its people and he was truly one of the finest men to ever obtain the title " PRESIDENT of the United States of America ".

God Bless you Sir.

[gaydanzig]

as time goes by, most decent americans will realize what a very special president we had in President Reagan.

today we have a presdident elected by affirmative-action who wants NASA to abandon our manifest destiny in the heavens and concentrate instead on public relations with the arab world, highlighting the muslim 'contributions to math and science.'

[netsurferx1]

Funny...Even though I was a little kid at the time, I still remember this speech like it was yesterday.

[mesa401]

We need you now Mr. President.

[sachibbsr]

President Reagan at his best. It was great to hear him say 'nothing ends here.'

Tragedy strikes all. Individuals, communities, nations. It's this quality to have the courage and the imagination to know that things will go on that defines us all.

[Crisgo3d]

I was home sick with the chicken pox when the Challenger disaster happened. This guy could speak and probably one of the greatest Presidents. This is a President that reassures the public and is "THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR"

[illbmack12]

My mew motto nowadays is "WWRRD" . Thank you for your service President Ronald Reagan. You are truly missed.

[homerinhalo]

R.I.P Challenger 7 and Ronald Reagan

[thomaspaine2000]

I miss you Mr. President!

[justW353]

Regardless of what you think about President Reagan, there was something about him that just...glowed.

[espo24736]

4:02-4:23

Gives me chill no matter how many times I hear it.

[ebsnodgrass]

I remember that day as vividly as 9/11. It took a president like Reagan to make everyone believe that we would get through it, however painful. Reassuring the children was important and you never hear leaders doing that anymore - now they just talk down to them like they are infants.

[s7rugg1es]

I was in third grade. We all wept.

[stafflvr]

@s7rugg1es I was in 4th. We actually watched live when it happened. Alot of confusion at first, then great sadness.

[russman1969]

What a beautifully eloquent speech. I was a sophomore in high school and can remember it like it was yesterday.

[dropthepucknow]

2:29-2:35

Nothing is more true then that!

[ericelectric]

What a touching speech... I've heard it was truly difficult for him... I miss President Reagan....

[pettyofficer30]

I read that Nancy was standing in back crying .

[bravo0105]

Now this brings back memories. It was all so surreal, and so horrible.