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Jamison city hall we bring you the memorial services for the three astronauts who gave their lives last week in the fire for their rocket just a few moments really ready to get. The opening ceremonies of the of the honorable Frank deal kind of president of the city council the first pray. I would ask you to be seated please. For the Honorable. Frank deal kind of president of the town's. Mayor Landrieu Mr Ross Mr are purely all. Dr Jastrow my distinguished conference of the council leaders of the city administration. And ladies and gentlemen may hardly tragic events of just a week ago that are the inspiration for us I present here today have saddened and shocked the entire country and I know that sense of loss and great bereavement has come the inspiration to gather here today that we might pause in the busy life of a busy city to give very sincere but woefully inadequate expression to the sense of sorrow and of loss that hangs so heavily upon all of us and in our hearts and in our minds and to express a deep sympathy to the wives and the children of those who are gone and so in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion we would respectfully suggest that there that you refrain from any applause and I would like now to commence the program I would suggest that we rise for the. Mesrine of the colors and for the national anthem which will be sung by John Paris of the Metropolitan Opera and if you will kindly remain standing for the in vocation which will then be delivered by the exact spectacular secretary of the Archdiocese of New York Monsignor Byrne Oh oh. Oh say can you you see by a good song thirty. Was up. Leaving. Right spot heard the patter. On the pots we got. Thirty three meetings in the dark a new. Day. A day. A day. They. Ah. Oh a. Day. Almighty Father show mercy to the work of your creation the images of ah prayer somehow do not easily fit day we cannot pray that you give these fallen men eternal wrath they were not men ready for Wrath give them rather the everlasting life of understanding and love in your presence. There is no crossing of the bar no putting out to sea no lifting up of eyes to my details are images and metaphor earth than they would have been drawn from the world of space as their intelligence and religious faith and count the new unexplored grounds of your creation we pray for our sound for qualities which so frequently remain may or words and abstractions we mock today the shop realities they became in the spacecraft pointed to the moon in the lives of these three fallen vision courage discipline collaboration objectives the collected an articulate man a man and gauged in high and noble deeds provide all fellow idea or consolation to the wives and children who remain and then the spectacular circumstances of science and space in which their men work let us not be unmindful of this great accomplishment of love and family and children given such the rectenna stimulus by their fathers with the bright promise of the resurrection life in the dock most of their pain until the night of suffering becomes not the death of their content but rather the surety and herald of their joy a man kindly be seated May I now present to the director of the God of the Institute of Medicine Dr Robert just drawn to me ladies and gentlemen Virgil Grissom Edward White and Roger Chaffee volunteered for a hazardous role the most hazardous role of all in the exploration of space nine hundred sixty one in proposing a serious space program to the American people and the Congress. President Kennedy said that we must be prepared to do the work and bad the burdens required for the achievement of our goal least three men bore the heaviest burden of all they gave their lives and they gave their lives because they held a belief it was a belief that the United States should play a leading role in an enterprise which will stand in history as one of great importance for us and for all mankind and enterprise which will carry us off the face of this planet. With consequences of enormous significance to our future history. The exploration of a newly accessible area of man's environment holds dangers it did in the fifteenth century and it does today. The American people share the belief that this and a prize is of great importance to them to all of us. And in spite of this tragic occurrence we will work towards the achievement of our goal with vigor and determination Thank you Dr Jastrow it is suggested that you remain seated and we will have a scripture reading by a member of the New York Board of Rabbis Rabbi Gilbert Clapham. Beauty always rails. Upon by high places a slime. How are the mighty fallen our Lord when I behold I have in this the work of the I fingers the moon and the stars which style has to start with. What is man that's our mind to love him the Son of Man that's out think is that him yet power has made him but little lower than the angels. And. With glory and honor. That has made him. Put things under his fate the foul. And the fish of the sea God is our strength a very present in trouble. Into the heart of the Seas. From one child. And. He will not suffer. Will not slumber the law. Shall keep. The law. And forever how was. The law. Even. Not divided. They were stronger than lions. How are the mighty fallen. Like your rabbi. I'm now privileged to preside. Of a Metropolitan Opera. And I will give arise from Handel's Messiah. For the really. The IT. The of. And representing our city council I'd like to present to you already leader of the council the Honorable on Joe Jr. Reverend clergy Mr Mayor Mr President Mr Majority Leader. Sadness and pride walked hand in hand today in this chamber and in our city sadness and the untimely and tragic death of these three Americans pride because they typified the spirit of a pioneering people in seeking not new worlds to conquer but new areas of knowledge for the enrichment of all mankind our city is sad our nation is sad for though they were strangers we knew them well is there one among us who did not ride into space with Colonel Grissom on that first man Gemini flight is there one who did not silently whisper hurry back when Colonel white casually walked in space does not each one share the hopes and dreams of the wonderful tomorrows envisioned by the US will command the Chaffey their achievements in the dawn of a new era not science fiction they were real and they will not be forgotten by us or by any American in truth they should be remembered by all the world for Colonel Grissom Colonel white and command the Chaffey served the least member of our civilization as well as the mighty in pursuing a great goal a peaceful goal one we hope someday will prove rewarding to all mankind thank you thank you Mr R. Kuli on my own are present again speaking on behalf of the city council its majority leader the Honorable David Ross urban clergy Mr Mayor struck on a strike Kuli old ladies and gentlemen the men we honor here today were Americans. They were great Americans but they were something else they were among the first citizens of a new limitless and almost in comprehensible world and the pioneers of a new dimension for civilization although America made their fantastic achievements possible when they flew in space when they walked in space when they worked in space they helped fulfill not only the hopes of a great nation but the aspirations of all the peoples of a troubled and torn planet all of us I believe there to the secret dream that somehow out there behind the stars. Perhaps we may find answers we have been unable to find right here I believe Virgil Grissom and Edward White and Roger Chaffee shared that dream it may be that one day man in his quest for these answers in strange worlds will find their weapon losses since trying to get and have said they were right in his own heart but the quest goes on and it is an honorable Quest. Program which for peace for benefits for all mankind not just the favored or the fortunate for no white to dispel the manmade darkness and I believe the names Grissom and White and Chaffee will be prevalent graves on the threshold of Maine's new horizon for her to use the words of another interesting the impossible dream and in fighting the unbeatable fall they have brought humanity a step closer. To reaching the unreachable stars. Thank you very much Mr Ross I think that all of us who participate in it who speak at these ceremonies today find it extremely difficult to speak quickly of these men who have gone because we cannot believe the sadness of their desks are added to the honor of their lives they made history. And they are now part of it's we could already had a national medal for example be struck for them these heroes of the twentieth century the astronauts who died in their dangerous work but like most pioneers they would not expect medals for their daring neither those awful a traditional bravery and they has was so unique that I think that a young boy paid a fitting tribute if unexpected to them this week when he wrote an essay called Man of God one thousand nine hundred sixty seven style and he named Grissom and white and chess it was not far fetched they made us look up not only to the staus but to them honest capable men doing their job who helped us stretch not only our concept of the universe but of Man him self for all of this they were almost casual in their competence they made the impossible seem easy in life and death they remind us that most valuable achievements are not easy that we cannot take men like them or the country they sought to represent to defend for granted they were really men of peace who sought to battle not of a man but space itself and fear and ignorance itself. They would have would have us now renew our dedication to those ideals and practicalities for which they gave the last full measure of. Daring and devotion we can only trust in God to find the full meaning of all the lines in the real meaning of it tests are not present to you the mayor of the city of New York the honorable John V. Lindsay. Mr Mr President Reverend clarity members of the city council my fellow New Yorkers we all know that the exploration of space would be a difficult and terribly has it is a task that death would be a constant companion of the men selected to reach for the stars the astronauts knew better than anyone else. The perils of their adventures yet they went ahead cheerfully and courageously Colonel Virgil Grissom summed it up I believe when he said if we die we want people to accept it the conquest of space is worth the risk of life what makes these deaths particularly tragic is that the astronauts represent America's finest chosen according to the highest physical and intellectual standards we not only took pride in them but grew to know them as we followed their training and their flights they died not only as Americans but as symbols of the quest by all mankind for greater knowledge of our universe they died as heroes and were buried as heroes at West Point and in Arlington Cemetery as the poem and scribed above the gates to Arlington Cemetery state sit on Fame's eternal camping ground there silent tents are spread and glory guards with solemn round the bivouac of the dead. New York City today salutes the courage and the memory of Rachel Grissom Edward White and Roger Chaffee Thank you Mayor Lenzie I think correct a lot of these proceedings should reflect the fact that joining with us in the service is the controller of the city of New York the honorable Mario Procaccini. Of our president of the bar with the Bronx the honorable Herman but Danielle many other leaders of city government whom I do not recognize moment and many leaders of the military from the army in the Navy and the Coast Guard in the Air Force whose names and titles will appear in the recollect of these proceedings and I now call for the closing prayer upon a representative of the Protestant Council of the city of New York the Reverend and Mel will. Almighty God Heavenly Father lift upon us at this hour the light of the holy continent help us to lift up our as into the hills from whence cometh the hell. Help cometh from the Lord let our blessing of rest in peace come to all of those upon whom the great sorrow of death has come God be very gracious and merciful onto them and keep them in their family as we beseech thee doing all the future enable them to be conscious of the fact that underneath them the everlasting autumn's that never never fail abide with all of us in the measure of a great peace and that the last bear us up the stairway through the darkness to the Father's house we shall go out normal for ever and now on to him who is able to keep you from falling and to preserve your allies at present you fought less. Before the throne of His mercy with exceeding great joy to the only wise God our Savior be glory Majesty dominion and power. Now and for ever. I met like your Reverend Wilson I would ask you to please remain standing while Sergeant Donald F. Crawford of the United States Marine Corps sounds taps. The service is closed I'd ask you to kindly remain in your seats while the mayor and his party leaves the council chamber. For the memorial tribute with New York City three astronauts who gave their lives last week in my aboard their rocket. Their monies came to you directly council chambers and city hall when we return your knowledge as well as to deal with in the municipal building.