Columbia astronaut buried at Arlington
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Gen. Lance W. Lord, commander of the Air Force Space Command, left, presents the United States flag to Sandra Anderson, second right, wife of Columbia shuttle astronaut Michael Anderson.
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SPECIAL REPORT
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ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- One month and six days after the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, one of the seven crew members who died, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Anderson, 42, served as Columbia's payload commander.
His 9-year-old daughter, Kaycee, clutched a brown teddy bear during the service. Her sister, Sydney, 11, looked straight at the coffin or down at the ground most of the time. Anderson's wife, Sandra, maintained a sad smile, while the astronaut's mother and father simply cried.
The graveside service lasted just under an hour.
It began with a drum beat. Then gray and white horses made their way down a curving path, pulling a tall, black antique-like wagon carrying Anderson's flag-draped coffin. A band played "Amazing Grace" as members of a military color guard lifted the casket onto their shoulders and carried it to its resting place.
After words from various speakers, Sandra Anderson accepted a Distinguished Service Medal for her husband's service to the military and NASA.
Then a 21-gun salute broke the silence, followed by the lonely sound of a single trumpet playing Taps.
Members of the color guard then lifted the American flag that had been draped over Anderson's coffin, folded it and handed it to the widow.
His parents dotted their eyes with a tissue as another American flag was given to them.
The ceremony drew to a close with the girls and their mother each placing a single, long-stemmed red rose on top of the silver casket. Other friends and family followed, offering condolences as they left.
In all, the seven astronauts left behind 12 children, six spouses, 13 parents and 20 brothers and sisters.
Remains of the astronauts were gathered from the wide area in which debris from the shuttle landed and were identified through DNA analysis.
