Challenger Commander Buried

Challenger commander Francis (Dick) Scobee, a former airplane mechanic who studied at night and talked his way into flight school, was mourned at Arlington National Cemetery today in a formal Air Force ceremony.

Scobee, who spoke the last words heard from the Challenger--”Challenger, go at throttle up”--before it blew apart in history’s worst space disaster Jan. 28, was buried at the bottom of a grassy hill in the shadow of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was his 47th birthday.