“REMEMBERING COLUMBIA” MUSEUM 375 Sabine St. Unit B, Hemphill. Open Tue-Sat. $5 adults; $3 students. 409-787-4827; nasacolumbiamuseum.com
In the days following the Columbia space shuttle’s disintegration over East Texas 20 years ago, the Piney Woods of Sabine County became hallowed ground. As part of the recovery team seeking the Columbia’s remains in the wilderness, local Baptist pastor and volunteer firefighter Fred Raney found himself leading impromptu memorial services, what he calls “chapels in the forest.”
Around 9 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2003, as thousands of pieces of the STS-107 shuttle thundered down, Raney and many Hemphill locals were suddenly thrust into critical new roles. Raney became an outdoor chaplain for the search team, composed of thousands of local volunteers and members of
