1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Like most of my generation, I grew up scared as 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: hell of nuclear armageddon. Sometimes my father would sit at 3 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: the edge of my bed and tell me not to worry, 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: that nuclear war wouldn't happen, precisely because the superpowers had 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: the capacity to blow each other up the military doctrine 6 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: of mutual assured destruction. I'm not sure if he believed 7 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: it or if he was just trying to make me 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: feel better. Roger, this is not an exercise. But I 9 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: was worried enough that I made sure to watch a 10 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: made for TV movie on ABC called The Day After. 11 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: It aired right before Thanksgiving with limited commercials, so you 12 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: knew this was a really big deal. It depicted the 13 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: destruction of Kansas City after a nuclear attack. Roger understanding 14 00:00:54,040 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: missiles and bound Nountain. The Day After was shockingly graphic 15 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: for the time. What I remember most, though, isn't the 16 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: scene of the incineration a lot of people turning into skeletons, 17 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: but the scene right before. A character played by Jason 18 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: Robards is driving on the highway when enemy nuclear weapons 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: detonate overhead. Suddenly, all the cars simply stopped running. They 20 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: go silent. Robards and the other drivers tried turning their ignitions, 21 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: but nothing. In other words, a nuclear bomb would subvert 22 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: nature on such an elemental molecular level that cars everywhere 23 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: would just go dead. I have no idea that the 24 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: science on this checks out, but watching it then it 25 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,919 Speaker 1: was so completely unnerving. I was fourteen when the movie 26 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: came out, a few years too old to admit how 27 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: scared I was, but it's a good bet that most 28 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: of the record breaking one hundred million Americans who watched 29 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: that movie were just as afraid. We did watch it 30 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: as a family, and it was deeply disturbing. I still 31 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: have images in my head of it just being gray 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: and dark, and people staggering through the destroyed wilderness. What 33 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: we have seen, the missiles launched, the nuclear explosions, the 34 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: devastating results, was all fiction. But what brought us to 35 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: that point is fact. It's something we've been living with 36 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: for years. It's the arms race. But not everyone was 37 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: paralyzed by the fear of nuclear war. The previous November, 38 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: a schoolgirl from Maine, a few years younger than me, 39 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: decided to do something. She wrote a letter, a letter 40 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: that asked a simple, eminently sane, and sensible question. Somehow 41 00:02:55,919 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: Samantha managed to boil things down to the essence. We 42 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: are all human beings and we shouldn't be looking to 43 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: annihilate each other. And that letter made big news, and finally, tonight, 44 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: the story of Samantha Smith, a ten year old girl 45 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: from Manchester, Maine. At one of the tensest periods in 46 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: Cold War history, Samantha Smith ended up going to the 47 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: Soviet Union. The people that have been to the Soviet 48 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: Union have a definite answer, them not wanting more and 49 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: wanting peace, just like I do. She was an ordinary 50 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: girl with an uncommon touch. She was that beam of 51 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: sunshine that broke through the cold ice of cold work. 52 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: Her life may have been short, she had such potential 53 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: mo she could have done anything, but she left a 54 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: powerful legacy and her short thirteen years she did more 55 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: than a lot of people do. In fifty from CBS 56 00:03:55,840 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: Sunday Morning, and I Heart, I'm Morocca And this is mobituaries, 57 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: This mobid Samantha Smith. August the death of a peacemaker. 58 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: Hi nice squeezed and I think At Manchester Elementary School 59 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: in Manchester, Maine, the story of its most notable alum 60 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: lives on. So today we're talking about Samantha Smith, who 61 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: was a student at this school. Teachers like Mrs O'Brien 62 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: have been telling Samantha Smith's story for forty years. So 63 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: she and her parents traveled to the Soviet Union. And 64 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: this is a picture of Samantha holding up the letter 65 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:07,799 Speaker 1: she became famous and this shy, really sweet little girl 66 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,600 Speaker 1: from Manchester, Maine, all of a sudden was being interviewed. 67 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: Look at all the microphones in front of her. Samantha's 68 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 1: story makes an immediate impression on the kids. What is 69 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: the thing that sort of stands out? Um, probably how 70 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: she's always smiling, Um, that she's always happy. She could 71 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 1: It's basically like she could walk into any room with 72 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: people at are grouchy and she can cheer him up 73 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: in a matter of seconds. That's wild to be in 74 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: this school that she went to, Yah, And I think 75 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: that's the great part for the kids when they're sitting 76 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: in the classroom and you can say, like, this is 77 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: where she sat. I mean, so she was just like you. 78 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: Jessica Dwyer is another one of the teachers telling Samantha's 79 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: story today. She really knows the subject matter. Jessica and 80 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: Samantha were students at this school together forty years ago 81 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: and close friends. The pictures that I have, the memories 82 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: that I have, which are fading, I think because it's 83 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: been a while. She was always giggling and laughing. That's 84 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: what I remember. Jessica met Samantha in the third grade 85 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: when the Smith family first moved to Manchester, a town 86 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: of about two thousand, just a few miles outside of Augusta, 87 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: Mains Capital. It must have been hard to join as 88 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: a new kid, but it did not take her long 89 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: at all to develop lots of friends. Sarah Warren was 90 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: another classmate and friend of Samantha's. Her mom was a 91 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: Girl Scout troop leader, so we used to have some 92 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: of our troop meetings at their house. Samantha's mother, Jane Smith, 93 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: was a social worker for the State of Maine. Samantha 94 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: was an only child. Samantha was just a very extroverted, 95 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: bubbly kid. I can remember we were trying to learn 96 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 1: how to dance like Michael Jackson because that was the 97 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: era of thriller. So we were in the living room, 98 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: you know, trying to learn how to moonwalk, and Samantha 99 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: was leading the way. So she was she was fun. 100 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: Samantha's father, Arthur Smith, was a college English professor. When 101 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: Samantha was little, she would sit in on some of 102 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: his classes, including one he taught about letter writing. At 103 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: age five, Samantha wrote a letter to the Queen of 104 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: England and got a postcard response from her lady in waiting. Yeah. See, 105 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: I mean I wrote to the American presidents, but I 106 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: don't know that it ever occurred to me to write 107 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: to leaders of other countries. Oh, Sarah, you needed to 108 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: think bigger, You needed to go global. I got there eventually. 109 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: Sarah now works in the Baltimore Public School system. Before that, 110 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: she spent many years doing aid work overseas, including in 111 00:07:55,800 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: war zones, partly inspired by what Samantha did back three 112 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: when they were just kids. I'm just a few years 113 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: older than you are. I remember being terrified by the 114 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: idea of nuclear war. Were you were you scared? I 115 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: was terrified. I can remember a period of time in 116 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: the fourth grade where I woke up every day with 117 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: a stomachache, and it was because I was afraid of war. 118 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: It felt like a real possibility there for for a 119 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: period of time. And I remember that especially in the 120 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:37,599 Speaker 1: fourth grade, which I guess must have been impressing Samantha 121 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: to you know, and been pressing on her mind, because um, 122 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: that was around you know, the time that she ended 123 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: up writing a letter. Ah, yes, the letter. We'll get 124 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: to that, but first some context. In November of two, 125 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: Soviet leader Leoned Bresnev died after eighteen years in power. Now, 126 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: as a kid, I remember the Soviet leaders as a 127 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: succession of crypt keepers, each one more ghoulish than the 128 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: one who came before. The guy who took over right 129 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: after Bresnev was a former head of the KGB spy 130 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: agency named Yuri and drop Of. As ambassador to Budapest 131 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 1: in nifty six, he oversaw the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution. 132 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: As head of the KGB for fifteen years, he directed 133 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: the Soviet campaign against the dissident movement. To soften and 134 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: Dropov's image, the Kremlin pr operation not exactly. Madison Avenue 135 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: put out that the new leader spoke fluent English and 136 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 1: loved American jazz, So relax everyone, this Soviet leader was 137 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: a hepcat. It was around this time that Samantha was 138 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: watching a science program about nuclear war on public TV 139 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: that scared her much like the day after would later 140 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: scare me. She couldn't shake that idea that I could 141 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: all be over tomorrow. Looking for some reassurance, Samantha and 142 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 1: her mother Jane, together read in November cover story of 143 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:15,079 Speaker 1: Time magazine about and drop off. It didn't make Samantha 144 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: any less worried, and she told her mother that her 145 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: mother should write a letter and Jane, her mom apparently 146 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: turned around and said, will you write the letter? And 147 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: I do think that her writing a letter as a 148 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: child was much more powerful than any adult writing a letter. 149 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 1: She wrote the following words, Dear Mr androp Off, my 150 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:45,079 Speaker 1: name is Samantha Smith. I am ten years old. Congratulations 151 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia 152 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are 153 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: you going to vote to have a war or not? 154 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: If you aren't, please tell me how you are going 155 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: to help to not have a war. This question you 156 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: do not have to answer, but I would like it 157 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: if you would. Why do you want to conquer the 158 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: world or at least our country. God made the world 159 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: for us to share and take care of, not to 160 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 1: fight over or have one group of people own it all. 161 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 1: Please let's do what he wanted and have everybody be 162 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 1: happy to Samantha Smith, Manchester, Main, USA, PS, please right 163 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: back out of the mouths of babes, right, I mean, 164 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: why do you want to have a war with our country? Um? 165 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: Which is really what adults should be asking each other, 166 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: you know. I think sometimes adults over complicate things, and 167 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: she was getting down to the basics. At the time 168 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: Samantha wrote her letter, Soviet and American leaders hadn't held 169 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: a real meeting in five years. The Soviet Union's stock 170 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: pile of nuclear weapons had surpassed that of the US, 171 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 1: and neither superpower was backing away from the build up. 172 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: Do or prior, the doomsday clock, the symbol of how 173 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: close mankind was to annihilation stood it four minutes to midnight, 174 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:14,119 Speaker 1: perilously close to midnight. While Samantha was waiting for a response, 175 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:18,959 Speaker 1: U S President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense initiative, 176 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: called star Wars by the press. The program pledged hundreds 177 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: of billions of dollars to build a laser based system 178 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: to intercept Soviet missiles. The President also delivered his now 179 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: famous Evil Empire speech to the National Association of Evangelicals 180 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: in Orlando. I urge you to beware the temptation of pride, 181 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all, and 182 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts 183 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, 184 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding, and 185 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong 186 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: and good and evil. Weeks later, the Soviet state newspaper 187 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: Pravda published an article featuring letters written by Westerners concerned 188 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 1: about nuclear war. They included Samantha's letter. The next day, 189 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: back at Manchester Elementary, the school secretary, Mrs Peabody called 190 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: Samantha into the principal's office to take a call from 191 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:30,319 Speaker 1: an American reporter. Ten year old Samantha Smith of Manchester 192 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: Made was one of three Americans whose quotes appeared in 193 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 1: yesterday's edition of Pravda. She says she wanted to get 194 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: the complicated story cleared up ask him questions about nuculate 195 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: war because I wasn't I'm not that sure. It's a 196 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: little bit hard to understand the news that because they 197 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: put it in grown up words, you know, I can't 198 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: understand what they mean, but what Samantha really couldn't understand 199 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: Why didn't she receive a response? They published her letter 200 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: in Pravda, but Entropov couldn't write her back, so she 201 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: wrote another letter, this time to the Soviet embassy in Washington, 202 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: d c. Expressing her disappointment. A week later, she got 203 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: a call from a Soviet official a heavily accented voice, 204 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: telling her to watch the mail. At first, Samantha thought 205 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 1: it might be one of her dad's friends playing a joke. 206 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: It wasn't. Just a few days later, a special envelope 207 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: arrived at the small town post office, addressed to Samantha 208 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: and signed by Urie and drop off. Samantha and her 209 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: dad read the letter on the way to school, and 210 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: her dad wouldn't let her bring it to school because 211 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: she was He was afraid that she would lose it. 212 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: Can you picture your parents saying that you can't take 213 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: this important letter to school. It just came in the 214 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: mail at seven this morning. What do you think when 215 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: you go? I was happy. I was happy that he 216 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: had responded after I had already complained that he hadn't, 217 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: And it basically said that he didn't want to rule 218 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: the world. He did want to have a war that 219 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: he respected children, and he talked about the children and 220 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: his family. And drop Off compared her to the character 221 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: of Becky Thatcher in Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, because he 222 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: wrote she was brave and smart, and he invited her 223 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: to come and visit the Soviet Union. Samantha, you recall, 224 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: is the eleven year old from Maine who wrote erion 225 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: drop Off about her concern over nuclear war. She says 226 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 1: she hardly expected a personal invitation to visit the Soviet Union. 227 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: Now it remains unclear if Andropov himself actually wrote the letter, 228 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: and it's impossible to know what the Kremlin's precise aim 229 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: was here. Inviting an American girl to the otherwise cloistered 230 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 1: nation was a dramatic public relations gambit for the newly 231 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: minted Soviet leader. One possibility, since the struggling Soviet economy 232 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: couldn't keep up with US defense spending, perhaps in drop 233 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: Off wanted instead to appeal directly to the American people 234 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: and undercut public support for Reagan's hardline stance against the Soviets. 235 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: Andropov has been trying hard to shed his bad cop image. 236 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: He left the KGB six months ago to improve his 237 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: chances for leadership. It wouldn't have been the first time 238 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: a Soviet leader tried to use a child to soften 239 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: his image. In ninety six, Joseph Stalin took a photo 240 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: embracing an adorable seven year old Indigenous Siberian girl named Gellia. 241 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: The image became iconic propaganda of the Stalinist era, depicted 242 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: in countless posters, murals, and sculptures, and no wonder, little 243 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: Gallia beams Stalin looks warm, positively paternal. But only a 244 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: year after the photo was taken, Gallia's parents were arrested 245 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: on suspicion of disloyalty, her father executed, and her mother 246 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: dying in exile. What did you really expect a happy ending? 247 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: We're talking Stalwin here now. A letter from the Soviet 248 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: leader to an American school kid would have made news 249 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: no matter what. But it just so happened that and 250 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: drop Off wrote to a kid with a charisma that 251 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: very soon captivated the media. She's a fifth grader who 252 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,880 Speaker 1: wrote to and received the now famous letter from Soviet 253 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: leader Urie and drop Off. Would you welcome ten year 254 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: old Samantha Smith on The Tonight Show Johnny Carson introduced 255 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: Samantha to the world. She was funny. Are you getting 256 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 1: tired of answering all the questions that people like myself 257 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: when the people on the news show are asking you? Yes. 258 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: I remember her sitting in the chair and her little 259 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: legs dangling over and swinging because she could reached the floor. 260 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 1: And she was just bubbly and cute. She was unaffected. 261 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: How did you get the idea to write the letter? Well, 262 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: nukiwarved and on t be a lot lately and it 263 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,400 Speaker 1: got to be so little steady on TV. I got scared. 264 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: It's remarkable how at ease she was. There's nothing kid 265 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: act or about her. You've never heard of me before 266 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 1: you came on the show. Ye did they tell you 267 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: anything about me? They told me or a median. What 268 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: immediately comes across is her smile. Whether it was her 269 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: natural disposition or the product of a happy upbringing, she 270 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: just had a great natural smile. This is no small thing. 271 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: I had a terrible smile when I was a kid. 272 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: Part of it was that I was trying to match 273 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: the smile of people on toothpaste commercials. A high bar, 274 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 1: I know. But I was in a song in dance 275 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: troop when I was in junior high and I needed 276 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 1: a smile to match the sequence we wore when we 277 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:55,680 Speaker 1: performed at White Flint Mall in Rockville, Maryland. Anyway, I'll 278 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,920 Speaker 1: never forget when one day in rehearsal, I was really 279 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: pushing my smile and the British director walked up to 280 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: me and said, I know what you think it looks like, 281 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: but it doesn't. It was devastating because she was right 282 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: after that, I stuck with a closed lip smile for 283 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 1: the rest of junior high and all of high school. 284 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: Samantha smile, on the other hand, was dynamite, as the 285 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 1: world could now see. I mean, that was big news 286 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 1: in Manchester Main. I don't think anything is big in 287 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: my recollection has happened before or since. The classmate, Jessica 288 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: Dwyer says that while she knew Samantha had poked her 289 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: head into the adult world in a big way, Samantha 290 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:45,919 Speaker 1: herself kept things real. The period when Samantha got the 291 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: reply from her letter, it was kept very separate from us. Yes, 292 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: they the media was here, we'd be outside at recess, 293 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: but Samantha it wasn't something we talked about because I 294 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: think she didn't want to stand out in any way. 295 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,359 Speaker 1: As for and drop offs invitation to visit the Soviet 296 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 1: Union this summer, Samantha is waiting for a decision by 297 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:14,119 Speaker 1: her kitchen cabinet, her mom and dad. Samantha knew she 298 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,880 Speaker 1: wanted to go. When she asked her father, he said, 299 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: we'll see. She knew he always said that before saying yes. 300 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: As she finished up fifth grade, Samantha made plans for 301 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 1: her diplomatic visit to the Soviet Union in July. Samantha 302 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 1: would later write, lots of questions came into my head 303 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: when I looked at pictures of Soviet people. I wondered 304 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: if I could be friends with Soviet kids. What they 305 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 1: think that I was a spy or that I was 306 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: afraid of them? What they think that I wanted to 307 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:47,360 Speaker 1: conquer them. She flew with her parents, first to Boston, 308 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 1: then on to Montreal, where the press attention was already 309 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: starting to annoy. Her mom told me not to say 310 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: it is because it's not you. It's your job. I mean, 311 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: you're really pstoring. I ended a biting the nigrophore. But 312 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: the trip was not without risks coming up. Samantha's two 313 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: week adventure in the Soviet Union. So this is the 314 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 1: kind of folk art that she was given people who 315 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 1: gave all kinds of things, Lots of little dolls, lots 316 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: of little teddy bears. There must be forty teddy bears. 317 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 1: Lori Labar is chief curator of History and Decorative Arts 318 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,159 Speaker 1: at the Main State Museum in Augusta. She's showing me 319 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: the gifts that Samantha Smith received on her trip to 320 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:50,919 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union in the summer of three, including a 321 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:55,400 Speaker 1: samovar from the Kremlin. This is beautiful. It's a tea urn. Essentially, 322 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: most tea goes in there, and the water goes in there. 323 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:03,200 Speaker 1: And what did these gifts mean? I think they were 324 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:07,360 Speaker 1: gifts of friendship, someone saying thank you for coming, Welcome 325 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,440 Speaker 1: to my world. But at the heart of it, Samantha 326 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: was essentially saying, why can't we be friends? That's exactly 327 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: what she was saying. That was the whole trip. She 328 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,960 Speaker 1: spent two weeks saying why can't we be friends. When 329 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: they arrived in Moscow, Samantha, who had just turned to Levin, 330 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: and her parents, Arthur and Jane, were greeted by guides 331 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: from the Soviet Friendship Society. They paid for the trip, 332 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: and Samantha gave a brief press conference for the thirty 333 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: or so reporters who would follow her on her trip. 334 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: He promised me that he wouldn't He wouldn't start a war. 335 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: Russia wouldn't start a war, and we America says that 336 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: they won't start a war either. Then how can we 337 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: keep making both for a warfare no one started? According 338 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: to Samantha's mother, the Smith's Soviet hosts asked the family 339 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,200 Speaker 1: what they'd like to see, and then proceeded to help 340 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: the family what they were going to see. Samantha visited 341 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: Lennon's tomb, She tried chicken Kiev. She met Valentina Tereshkova, 342 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:14,120 Speaker 1: the first female cosmonaut. Not everything went as planned. At 343 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 1: one point, the Soviet made limousine baring the Smith's broke down. 344 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:23,719 Speaker 1: It was hastily replaced. Now, the US government avoided taking 345 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: any official position on Samantha's trip, not wanting to co 346 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 1: sign a Soviet propaganda ploy. I think they were very 347 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,120 Speaker 1: worried because, you know, there could have been an accident. 348 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: She could have been a tool of the Soviet Union, 349 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: a propaganda duke. Yes, exactly Before they even left on 350 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 1: their trip, the Smith family was flooded with letters, many 351 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: from relatives of Soviet Jews desperate to leave the country. 352 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 1: The family shied away from any particular cause beyond peace, 353 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,640 Speaker 1: but passed a packet of the letters along. They two 354 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: were worried about Samantha being a propaganda pawn. Once during 355 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: the trip, a group of students asked Samantha to sign 356 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: a petition that condemned US foreign policy, but one of 357 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: her Soviet guides swooped in before she could sign it. 358 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: When Samantha and her parents visited Red Square, her father Arthur, 359 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: was asked to lay a flower wreath on the tomb 360 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,919 Speaker 1: of the Unknown Soldier, a monument to the Soviet World 361 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: War two dead. Afraid to offend his hosts, he went 362 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: ahead and did it. Fortunately this was before Twitter. Be 363 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: glad Samantha was already a household name and face across 364 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union. As she put it herself, it's a 365 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 1: funny feeling to see articles about yourself with pictures in 366 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 1: a newspaper you can't read. Most surprising to the Russian 367 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:53,199 Speaker 1: readers following her every move, Samantha had been invited to 368 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: Camp ar Tech on the Crimean Peninsula. It's a place 369 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: every Soviet kid dreamed of going. ARC Tech is one 370 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: place that Soviet leader Urion drop Off really wanted Samantha 371 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 1: to see, to meet and talk with kids her own age, 372 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: and to see for herself that everyone in the Soviet 373 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:17,919 Speaker 1: Union wants peace and friendship. When it was Natalia Rosten, 374 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,120 Speaker 1: I'm a teacher. It's been a long time since I've 375 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: sat in a second grade classroom chair. It's actually been 376 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: I guess, uh forty five years. But it feels nice. Yes, 377 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:33,640 Speaker 1: I'm sitting in a chair made for a second grader. 378 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 1: And no, it actually doesn't feel nice. Yeah, and it's 379 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: the right size for this desk with the chairs and 380 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 1: totally needs won't fit. Natalia Roston now teaches second grade 381 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles, but during Samantha's visit, she was a 382 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: Soviet kid raised in the city then called Lennon Grad 383 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: and a camper at Camp ar Tech. I think you 384 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,359 Speaker 1: and I around the same age. What year were you born? 385 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:05,360 Speaker 1: As was I teen? Sixteen nine one January? Oh yeah, 386 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: I sure you. My parents didn't go to Woodstock, There's 387 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: no way. Natalia was the daughter of an engineer and 388 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: an English teacher. She felt lucky to be at ar 389 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: Tech since it was the crown jewel of what we're 390 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: known as pioneer camps. I think boy Scout or Girl 391 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: Scout camp, but communist. Was it a pretty big deal 392 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: when you found out you were going to go, oh yeah, 393 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: It was pretty big guilt to me, and it was 394 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 1: pretty big guilt to my friends. We were all extatic 395 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: because it was it was like winning a lot of 396 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,880 Speaker 1: I mean, it was a huge privilege. Natalia was not 397 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: from the elite. When I got to camp, I found 398 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 1: out that there was a group of kids from political 399 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: elite that were the year of the year of the year. 400 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: They treated Artech as a regular summer camp, but most 401 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: of us, we were from different backgrounds, from all over 402 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: the Union, and most of the campers that summer had 403 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: never even met in American They got the whole part 404 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: of our Artech camp together at an assembly and the said, 405 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: guess what, there's this girl whose personal guests of all 406 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: of you, of our premier and she's coming to visit 407 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 1: our tech and guess what, We're so lucky because she's 408 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 1: going to be guest in our camp, and what do 409 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 1: you think? And we were we were crazy. We started. 410 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,600 Speaker 1: We started cleaning our door right away. We started like 411 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: ironing our uniforms right away. In Russia, when when any 412 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: guest comes, it's a big deal. When a foreign guest comes, 413 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: it's a triple big deal. And when the personal guest 414 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: of a premier comes. We were just through in seventh Heaven. 415 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 1: And the fact that she was American made it even more. Yeah, 416 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: it was a big deal because Russian propaganda was saying 417 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: this that American people are peace loving people, but the 418 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 1: government is brainwashing them to believe that we're the enemy. 419 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: And so we thought the cementy is gonna arrive and 420 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:48,639 Speaker 1: she was gonna look at us like we were the enemy. 421 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,879 Speaker 1: And so then your job, as it were, was just 422 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: to change your mind and to show who we really 423 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: really are, you know, our hospitality and how great the 424 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 1: country is. Because thirteen year rold In Natalia spoke more 425 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 1: English than anyone else, she would be Samantha's camp buddy 426 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: and deliver the welcome speech before thousands of campers. I 427 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: had to memorize this speech because my English wasn't fluent. 428 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:18,919 Speaker 1: It was very Rudimentaria. Were you nervous when you delivered it? 429 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: I was petrified. My mouth was dry. I was yeah, 430 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: especially like you know, the camp counselors. They were young, 431 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 1: but they acted like Russian grandma's. They would like, spit 432 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 1: polished my forehead and make sure that everything is perfectly. 433 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 1: There was not. There was not a wrinkle. I wouldn't 434 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 1: They wouldn't let me sit some there would There wouldn't 435 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: be like a wrinkle in my shirt. My my ribbons 436 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 1: and my my braids were bigger than my head. I 437 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: mean it was. It was a huge deal because you 438 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 1: were essentially you were the lead of the welcome committee here. Well, 439 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: they told me that was the face of the country. 440 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: It was to be a simple welcoming ceremony for Samantha 441 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 1: at r Tech, a Sylvia youth camp. But oftentimes the 442 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 1: world's largest country does simple things and way. In this case, 443 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: two thousand uniformed young people and the Communist youth group 444 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: known as the Young Pioneers filled every seat of an 445 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: outdoor theater. It's the same clap and give their American 446 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: guests or warn hello. Now, at least Natalia spoke some English. 447 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: Remember Samantha spoke no Russian. But Natalia says that hardly mattered. 448 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 1: I remember They was so easy, Like it's like it's 449 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: if we knew each other the whole life. It was 450 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: so easy to kind of communicate, even though the language 451 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: abilities were very limited. Just smiling and trading things and um, 452 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: you know, sharing jokes and sharing our opinions about cafeteria food, 453 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: about the boys and out troop, about bathing suits, me 454 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: just fivorite. Everything was so easy. Although she would only 455 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 1: be staying for four days. Samantha asked to where the 456 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: Pioneer uniform. She was given the uniform with the blue 457 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: scarf for visitors instead of the red one worn by 458 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 1: Pioneer members. She also wanted to sleep in the cabin 459 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:04,720 Speaker 1: with the other campers. Do you remember when the lights 460 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: went out? Were you quiet or was there giggling and 461 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: whispering and you know, tiptoeing around the room and our 462 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 1: camp counselor going if I have to walk in there 463 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: one more time? Are you're gonna have you know, actual 464 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: extra duties tomorrow? All of that happened you, Yes, I 465 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: would be disappointed if there had been no giggling. We 466 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: were so excited. Everybody was. She was excited. We were 467 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 1: excited me And what was she curious about? Everything. She 468 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 1: wanted to know what kind of music we were listening. 469 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: She wanted to know what kind of books we were reading. 470 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: She wanted to know what kind of sports were playing, 471 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 1: what kind of dances with dance, you know everything. She 472 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: wanted to do everything. Natalia played Italian pop music for 473 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 1: Samantha like Total Contunio, and Samantha played her favorite music 474 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: at the time for Natalia. I can remember the cars 475 00:30:54,640 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 1: were huge that summer. I'm guessing this was all on 476 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 1: cassette tape. Did you talk about politics? Was that sort 477 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,880 Speaker 1: of understood or you just weren't interested. Once we saw her, 478 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: we understood that she doesn't think we want war and 479 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: she doesn't want war, So it was it was unnecessary. 480 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 1: It was just never came up because we felt that 481 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: it was not necessary to discuss. On Samantha's second day 482 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: at ar Tech, she and other campers wrote out into 483 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 1: the Black Sea to participate in an artech tradition. We 484 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: would write the message with our most sacred wish and 485 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: we would see it in this little glass bottle and 486 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: toss it overboard. So most kids would We wish for, 487 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: you know, end of starvation. We wish for health, We 488 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 1: wish for um bright future. You know things like that, 489 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: Samantha wrote on her card, I am for peace in 490 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 1: my lifetime. On the boat, they sang a favorite Soviet 491 00:31:55,240 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: children's song, May They're always be sanshine me They're always 492 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 1: be blue Sky. May They're always be Mommy. May They're 493 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: always be me? May there always be Sunshine is based 494 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: on a short poem, a Plea for Peace, by a 495 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: four year old Russian boy. The song has been performed 496 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 1: all over the world, translated into many languages. The kids 497 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: here and all the people here are really much like 498 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 1: Americans except for the language. And I didn't have any 499 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 1: trouble um making friends. Images of Samantha smiling and playing 500 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: in the Black Sea alongside her young pioneer comrades delighted 501 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 1: Soviet audiences, but left some viewers in her home country uneasy. 502 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: A CBS report pointed out activities at our tech Samantha 503 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: wasn't being shown. These young pioneers are out on a 504 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: different kind of extra size, learning to patrol the beaches 505 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: day and night, learning to handle the automatic weapons they carry. 506 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 1: As part of their summer session at the exclusive camp, 507 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: they are trained by a special section of the secret police, 508 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: the KGB border patrols, But for Samantha there will be 509 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: no night patrols on lonely beaches. Instead, a festival of 510 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: clowns and laughing bears at an evening concert where the 511 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: slogan is peace and friendship. On Samantha's final night at Artech, 512 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: a big Soviet send off. I shall my new international friends, 513 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: but we will remain friends. Prossy. Let our countries be 514 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: friends too. Satday, I hope to return. Samantha says she 515 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:48,239 Speaker 1: has been very impressed by the Soviet Union. Although her 516 00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 1: routine is tiring, the Soviets seemed to want to show 517 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: her everything they can in tightly packed days. There is 518 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: still no answer to her most important wish while in 519 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:00,040 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union, a visit with Leader Urien drop off Of. 520 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: On her last full day in the Soviet Union, Samantha 521 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 1: got the news and drop Off was unable to meet her. 522 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,399 Speaker 1: She said that he was sorry that he couldn't meet 523 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 1: with me, and he was just too busy, and he 524 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 1: wishes me um quote for no war and good health. 525 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:23,600 Speaker 1: In fact, the Soviet leader was already dying from kidney failure. 526 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:27,760 Speaker 1: There had been talking to Samantha, meeting and drop off. 527 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 1: In retrospect, you think it's good that that meeting didn't 528 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 1: work out. Does it really matter? It might have mattered 529 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,839 Speaker 1: to the political elite, but what she wanted to accomplish, 530 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,360 Speaker 1: I don't think it really matter whether she met a 531 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 1: or not. And what was the goodbye like when you 532 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: had to say goodbye to Samantha. Well, we thought that 533 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: she was going to come back, you know, we thought 534 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:51,160 Speaker 1: that maybe in a few years they come and visit again. 535 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,400 Speaker 1: It wasn't. It wasn't like a farewell goodbye was goodbye 536 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: for now, I see you later. When Samantha landed back 537 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:05,080 Speaker 1: in Maine on July, more than three hundred people greeted 538 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 1: her at the airport. She walked down a red carpet 539 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,920 Speaker 1: and wrote a limousine back home. On programs like The 540 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:15,480 Speaker 1: Phil Donna Hugh Show, Samantha reflected on her peace mission 541 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 1: obviously one of the reasons you wrote this letter. As 542 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: she felt a little scared. I think, as you said, 543 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: be less scared. Yeah, really, I don't think I was 544 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:31,320 Speaker 1: scared anymore at all. What do you mean? What? Oh? 545 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:36,360 Speaker 1: I went to Russia and the Soviets and me and 546 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:41,280 Speaker 1: I got to know each other, and they just joined 547 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 1: nice people tonight, or at least the people I met 548 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:48,279 Speaker 1: on the other side of the break the conclusion of 549 00:35:48,320 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 1: Samantha's story, So kids are pretty much the same every 550 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: where you thinking, Unfortunately you didn't get to meet Uri Andropov, 551 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,759 Speaker 1: did you know. Less than a week after returning from 552 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: her trip to the Soviet Union, Samantha Smith was back 553 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:21,719 Speaker 1: on Johnny Carson. Samantha told Johnny about her new friend Natalia, 554 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: who back then went by the nickname Natasha. You can 555 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 1: think you're gonna keep in contact through letters within your fringe. 556 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 1: Min Oh, We're not nowhere close to being definite about this, 557 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,640 Speaker 1: but I made a really close friend Natasha that we 558 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 1: might invite her to America sometimes. He that would be nice. 559 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 1: When it may have been Samantha's second time on the 560 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: Tonight Show, but she wasn't the least bit jaded in 561 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 1: both instances. There's something so just reassuringly, refreshingly normal, all right, yes, 562 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: and love. It is such a magical age. That's Lori 563 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:02,120 Speaker 1: Labarre again from the State Museum. And I don't think 564 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 1: it would have been as successful if it had been 565 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:06,919 Speaker 1: a teenager. And I think really that what we needed 566 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,560 Speaker 1: was an eleven year old to do this? Why because 567 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 1: she was guileless? She was just what you saw is 568 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:16,200 Speaker 1: what you got. She was a cheerful, happy, smart kid. 569 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:19,840 Speaker 1: She wasn't a morose seventeen year old listening to the 570 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:28,799 Speaker 1: Smith's love the Smith's mother. But any afterglow in this 571 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:33,840 Speaker 1: country from Samantha's trip faded quickly. Just forty one days 572 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 1: after her return, a horrific international incident on September one, 573 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: the Soviet military shot down a Korean Airlines jetliner that 574 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: had drifted into Soviet air space while flying between Anchorage 575 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:53,480 Speaker 1: and Soul. All two hundred sixty nine civilians, including a 576 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:58,960 Speaker 1: US congressman, were killed. Whatever goodwill and drop off had 577 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:03,799 Speaker 1: engendered in the way vanished. Some anger was directed at 578 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:08,440 Speaker 1: the Smith's Samantha's father, Arthur, conveyed the family's horror at 579 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 1: the massacre, but defended the need for peaceful dialogue as 580 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 1: more important than ever. In December of Samantha and her 581 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 1: mother were invited to Japan to address an international children's symposium. 582 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: She wasn't in school as much anymore. That's childhood friend 583 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:31,960 Speaker 1: Sarah Warren again. She was always off sort of doing 584 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:36,720 Speaker 1: another events, which was undoubtedly even more educational than school. 585 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 1: I think that the education she was getting was pretty 586 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: profound for for a child. So um yeah, I mean 587 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: her life just completely transformed. Most people know me as 588 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,520 Speaker 1: the girl who want to Russia, but now I'm going 589 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: to Washington. The Disney Channel hired Samantha to interview most 590 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: of that year's Democratic presidential candidates, including Jesse Jackson, George 591 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:08,520 Speaker 1: McGovern and former Florida Governor Ruben Ask you, how do 592 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 1: you feel about inviting the Soviets over here to talk 593 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 1: about peace. I think that there's no reason that this 594 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: this country, and the Soviet Union can't get together and 595 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 1: start seeking at more commonality adventures. With all this exposure, 596 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:29,160 Speaker 1: perhaps it was inevitable that Hollywood would come calling. Sarah 597 00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:33,560 Speaker 1: Warren remembers when Samantha began acting, appearing in an episode 598 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: of the CBS sitcom Charles in Charge, which we were 599 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:39,200 Speaker 1: all very jealous about because we all had a crush 600 00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 1: on Scott Bao at the time. Soon after, she was 601 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:49,960 Speaker 1: casting Lime Street, a weekly action adventure series starring actor 602 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:54,080 Speaker 1: Robert Wagner. I was very flattered that you asked me 603 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:56,520 Speaker 1: to do this, And when it comes to Samantha Smith, 604 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:00,960 Speaker 1: I'll do anything. I met Robert Wagen. I grew up 605 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,919 Speaker 1: watching him on TV's Heart to Heart near his home 606 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:08,880 Speaker 1: in Aspen, Colorado, inside the historic hotel Jerome, So tell 607 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 1: us a landmark. You know that I stayed here at nine, 608 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:17,400 Speaker 1: Wagner says. The producers of Lime Street, Harry Thomason and 609 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:21,760 Speaker 1: Linda Bloodworth. Thomason had first seen Samantha on Johnny Carson. 610 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:26,400 Speaker 1: Linda had seen her and she thought she was, you know, 611 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:31,440 Speaker 1: just so marvelous and had this great quality, and you know, 612 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:36,680 Speaker 1: the camera just drank her in. I meant Samantha, I 613 00:40:36,680 --> 00:40:39,840 Speaker 1: could see exactly what they were talking about. In the series, 614 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 1: Samantha played Elizabeth Culver, the spunky daughter of a jet 615 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:53,399 Speaker 1: setting insurance investigator played by Wagner. Yes, are you going 616 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:59,640 Speaker 1: to Mary? Why not? Because I've already got enough press, 617 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:04,919 Speaker 1: which get upstairs and take that with Some people felt 618 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:08,919 Speaker 1: betrayed that the little diplomat had gone Hollywood. Her mother, 619 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:11,320 Speaker 1: Jane told the press at the time that it wouldn't 620 00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:14,400 Speaker 1: be natural for Samantha to devote her life to Soviet 621 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:20,560 Speaker 1: American relations, after all, she was a kid. Jessica Dwyer 622 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:24,440 Speaker 1: remembers when Samantha had just gotten her braces off right 623 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: before she left for London, where Lime Street was shooting. 624 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: She was in the midst of packing and getting things together, 625 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 1: and sam was just making peace suit at the stove, 626 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:41,160 Speaker 1: something that was soft and wasn't going to hurt her. 627 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:47,399 Speaker 1: She just a typical teenager. Is that the last time 628 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:50,600 Speaker 1: that you saw her? That was the last time that 629 00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:55,520 Speaker 1: we saw it. She left the next day. In August, 630 00:41:56,480 --> 00:42:00,920 Speaker 1: Samantha finished filming her fourth episode of Lime Street. On 631 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:05,760 Speaker 1: she and her father Arthur, flew home. Their commuter plane 632 00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:09,200 Speaker 1: from Boston was on its final approach to Auburn Lewiston, 633 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:13,080 Speaker 1: Maine Airport when it crashed just two hundred yards from 634 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:18,920 Speaker 1: the airport's runway. All eight people on board perished. This morning, 635 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:22,360 Speaker 1: thirteen year old Samantha Smith is dead, the victim of 636 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,560 Speaker 1: a plane crash last night in her native Maine. Just recently, 637 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:28,560 Speaker 1: she began work on a new ABC TV series with 638 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:34,880 Speaker 1: actor Robert Wagner. You know, Samantha maids such an impression 639 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:38,600 Speaker 1: upon people of wand to be taken like that, who 640 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:47,280 Speaker 1: was unbelievable to us, unbelievable, unbelievable to young Jessica Dwyer 641 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:51,080 Speaker 1: in Maine. It took me a long time to accept it. 642 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:53,520 Speaker 1: Um and I'll share this. I haven't shared it with 643 00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:57,080 Speaker 1: very many people. I always thought that she and her 644 00:42:57,160 --> 00:43:01,560 Speaker 1: dad escaped the plane and we're in a and that 645 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:05,080 Speaker 1: she and her dad were living this great life. And 646 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:11,319 Speaker 1: I think that was just my way of keeping her 647 00:43:11,360 --> 00:43:16,640 Speaker 1: memory alive. The news was barely comprehensible to young Natalia. 648 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:19,960 Speaker 1: In Leningrad. There was a beautiful a social author who 649 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:23,480 Speaker 1: said that chazz Ear does not comprehend the word death. 650 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:26,240 Speaker 1: I mean, I knew she died, but I really didn't 651 00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:31,920 Speaker 1: process the loss. Hundreds of mourners gathered today and Augusta, Maine, 652 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:35,560 Speaker 1: at a memorial service for Samantha Smith, the schoolgirl whose 653 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 1: plea for peace made her internationally famous. Well, it was 654 00:43:39,160 --> 00:43:42,600 Speaker 1: difficult to even get into the church because there were 655 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:47,960 Speaker 1: so many people there. I just remember being really sad 656 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:54,879 Speaker 1: for Jane because she lost her family. The first Secretary 657 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:58,360 Speaker 1: to the Soviet Embassy in Washington was among the mourners 658 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:02,800 Speaker 1: and described Samantha in his eulogy as a brilliant beam 659 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:08,280 Speaker 1: of sunshine that millions old mothers and fathers and kids 660 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:12,840 Speaker 1: back in the Russian in the Soviet Union share the 661 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:18,440 Speaker 1: being of this tragic loss. President Reagan, who had avoided 662 00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:22,960 Speaker 1: mentioning Samantha in public, sent condolences to Samantha's mother, Jane 663 00:44:23,080 --> 00:44:27,760 Speaker 1: in Maine, writing that millions of Americans would remember Samantha's smile, 664 00:44:28,200 --> 00:44:36,280 Speaker 1: her idealism, and her quote unaffected sweetness of spirit. Samantha 665 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 1: Smith's pioneer uniform, the one she wore at Artech, is 666 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:44,040 Speaker 1: still at the Main State Museum with Lorie Labar. When 667 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: I first walked in and saw it, I gasped. The uniform. 668 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:52,600 Speaker 1: It's just so small, just eleven year old girl. It's 669 00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:55,080 Speaker 1: a reminder just this was a small girl. This was 670 00:44:55,160 --> 00:44:58,800 Speaker 1: a little kid. Um, this wasn't an adult. This was 671 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:05,279 Speaker 1: just someone who had asked a question. Samantha's death at 672 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:09,919 Speaker 1: such an unnaturally young age effectively froze her legacy as 673 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:13,720 Speaker 1: that of a child's peace activist. Here's Sarah Warren again. 674 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 1: As tragic and awful as it was that she died, 675 00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:23,400 Speaker 1: it really did draw more attention to her trip and 676 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:28,400 Speaker 1: to what she had done. And many of us then 677 00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:31,600 Speaker 1: found a way to make meaning somehow of her life 678 00:45:31,640 --> 00:45:35,799 Speaker 1: and her passing by trying to carry forward what she 679 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:41,840 Speaker 1: had started. All right, So what impact did Samantha's improbable 680 00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:46,000 Speaker 1: life as a child diplomat make well for starters. Jane 681 00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:51,359 Speaker 1: Smith established the nonprofit Samantha Smith Foundation to promote international 682 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:56,160 Speaker 1: understanding through youth exchange trips. One year after Samantha's death, 683 00:45:56,520 --> 00:45:59,920 Speaker 1: Sarah Warren, along with Jane Smith, and a group of 684 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:03,640 Speaker 1: classmates from Maine, made their own trip to the Soviet Union. 685 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:06,759 Speaker 1: Well essentially, we were following on the same footsteps of 686 00:46:07,040 --> 00:46:09,799 Speaker 1: Samantha and her parents, the same trip that they had done. 687 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:13,319 Speaker 1: They started to understand what their friend had meant to 688 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:16,040 Speaker 1: the rest of the world. Although she had been getting 689 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:18,640 Speaker 1: a lot of media coverage in the US, she was 690 00:46:18,719 --> 00:46:22,120 Speaker 1: just downright famous in the Soviet Union. Everybody there knew 691 00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 1: who she was. Jessica Dwyer went on that trip too. 692 00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:30,759 Speaker 1: Mobs of people just wanted to be near us and 693 00:46:30,840 --> 00:46:35,480 Speaker 1: around us. Everywhere we went. We were just greeted by 694 00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:39,200 Speaker 1: so many people that wanted to talk to us, touch 695 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:45,480 Speaker 1: us because we knew Samantha. Samantha was memorialized in Maine. 696 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:49,160 Speaker 1: A statue of her holding a dub stands outside the 697 00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:52,840 Speaker 1: main State Museum in Augusta, But in the Soviet Union, 698 00:46:53,360 --> 00:46:57,680 Speaker 1: Samantha's face appeared on a postage stamp, on murals, her 699 00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:02,719 Speaker 1: name graced schools, street, a flower, a ship, a diamond, 700 00:47:02,840 --> 00:47:06,040 Speaker 1: and asteroid. Even a mountain was named in her honor. 701 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 1: Samantha Smith. Even now she is more popular than she 702 00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:13,600 Speaker 1: is here. Why do you think that is? Because maybe 703 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:15,480 Speaker 1: for us she was a symbol of hope that the 704 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:20,440 Speaker 1: relationship could be of friendship between the two countries. And 705 00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:25,120 Speaker 1: that gets it perhaps her greatest and most ironic legacy. 706 00:47:25,320 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 1: By inviting Samantha to the Soviet Union, Urie and drop 707 00:47:29,080 --> 00:47:32,120 Speaker 1: Off was hoping to improve the image of his regime 708 00:47:32,280 --> 00:47:37,640 Speaker 1: in America, but the opposite kind of happened. American University 709 00:47:37,680 --> 00:47:41,520 Speaker 1: professor Anton Fetiyashin, who grew up in the Soviet Union, 710 00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:45,280 Speaker 1: put it this way. Quote The fact that Samantha Smith 711 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:48,520 Speaker 1: is still remembered in Russia but is mostly forgotten in 712 00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:52,640 Speaker 1: the US is testament that and drop offs original idea 713 00:47:52,719 --> 00:47:55,799 Speaker 1: of projecting an image to the world was reversed by 714 00:47:55,920 --> 00:48:01,680 Speaker 1: Samantha projecting herself much more successfully on a Soviet society. 715 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:06,920 Speaker 1: In other words, Samantha wasn't anyone's dupe. By the way, 716 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:10,880 Speaker 1: the Soviets ended up exporting their own version of Samantha 717 00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:15,319 Speaker 1: In ninety six, fifteen year old Katya Licheba visited the 718 00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:19,880 Speaker 1: US on a peace mission. Katia actually met Reagan briefly, 719 00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:24,799 Speaker 1: but the Soviet Samantha didn't have the original Samantha's curiosity 720 00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:30,640 Speaker 1: or charisma and quickly fizzled in The Samantha Smith Foundation 721 00:48:30,760 --> 00:48:35,040 Speaker 1: inaugurated its own World Peace Camp in Poland Spring Maine. 722 00:48:35,520 --> 00:48:39,759 Speaker 1: Two years later, Natalia Rostin visited the camp. Was that 723 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:43,680 Speaker 1: your first trip to the United States was first trip abroad? 724 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:48,200 Speaker 1: And what did you think of Maine when you saw it? Beautiful? 725 00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:53,080 Speaker 1: It the nature kind of reminded me a little bit 726 00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:56,400 Speaker 1: of Russia, but not quite like Russia. Lots of like 727 00:48:56,480 --> 00:49:00,400 Speaker 1: the citious trees, you know, the greenery view doful, like 728 00:49:00,480 --> 00:49:03,359 Speaker 1: rolling hills. Is there anything you ate there that you've 729 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:10,000 Speaker 1: never eaten before? Lobster. More than thirty years later, as 730 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:14,920 Speaker 1: a second grade teacher, Natalia includes Samantha in her curriculum. 731 00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:17,600 Speaker 1: We learned the story and I always tied into writing. 732 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:20,279 Speaker 1: I tell you know, writing is your superpower. You know 733 00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:21,879 Speaker 1: you want to change the world, you need to learn 734 00:49:21,880 --> 00:49:25,439 Speaker 1: how to write. Look at Samantha, you know she made 735 00:49:25,440 --> 00:49:27,799 Speaker 1: a huge impact because she was write. She knew she 736 00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:29,360 Speaker 1: knew what she wanted to say, and she says she 737 00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:31,760 Speaker 1: stay did it clearly. And how did the kids react 738 00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:35,239 Speaker 1: to the story of Semanthea inspired? They get inspired, They 739 00:49:35,280 --> 00:49:39,239 Speaker 1: get inspired by that. You know, the kids have have 740 00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:42,880 Speaker 1: power working on this mobid. I've thought about all that 741 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:47,160 Speaker 1: Samantha didn't live to see. Just three months after she died, 742 00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:51,480 Speaker 1: President Reagan and then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met for 743 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:57,120 Speaker 1: the first time to discuss nuclear disarmament. Just six years later, 744 00:49:57,280 --> 00:50:01,680 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union dissolved. I also wondered what Samantha would 745 00:50:01,680 --> 00:50:04,919 Speaker 1: be doing today. When I spoke to her childhood friend 746 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:09,120 Speaker 1: Sarah Warren back in July, it was just a few 747 00:50:09,200 --> 00:50:14,920 Speaker 1: days past Samantha's birthday. Samantha would have turned fifty on June. 748 00:50:15,560 --> 00:50:24,799 Speaker 1: And it's sorry, it's pretty profound to think about what 749 00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:29,480 Speaker 1: she did all those years ago. And I don't know. 750 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:31,319 Speaker 1: I try not to think about her too much as 751 00:50:31,360 --> 00:50:33,520 Speaker 1: an adult because I think she did what she needed 752 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:39,080 Speaker 1: to as a kid. But um, and we want a legacy, 753 00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:42,440 Speaker 1: you know. I'm sure had she lived to be fifty, 754 00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:44,359 Speaker 1: she would have been beautiful and she would have been 755 00:50:44,360 --> 00:50:48,239 Speaker 1: doing lots of amazing things in the world. But in her, 756 00:50:48,560 --> 00:50:51,560 Speaker 1: you know, short thirteen years, she did more than a 757 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:56,440 Speaker 1: lot of people do in fifty. So Samantha's life was short, 758 00:50:56,960 --> 00:51:00,160 Speaker 1: But the questions she asked in that handwritten letter all 759 00:51:00,160 --> 00:51:03,880 Speaker 1: those years ago, her plea for peace are no less 760 00:51:03,880 --> 00:51:13,239 Speaker 1: powerful today. I hope you enjoyed this Mobituary. May I 761 00:51:13,280 --> 00:51:16,279 Speaker 1: ask you to please rate and review our podcast. You 762 00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:19,920 Speaker 1: can also follow Mobituaries on Facebook and Instagram, and you 763 00:51:19,920 --> 00:51:23,480 Speaker 1: can follow me on Twitter at Morocca. Here all new 764 00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:28,080 Speaker 1: episodes of Mobituaries every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts 765 00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:32,239 Speaker 1: and check out Mobituaries Great Lives Worth Reliving, the New 766 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:35,920 Speaker 1: York Times best selling book now available in paperback and 767 00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:40,120 Speaker 1: audio book that includes plenty of stories not in this podcast. 768 00:51:40,719 --> 00:51:44,919 Speaker 1: This episode of Mobituaries was produced by Aaron Shrank. Our 769 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:49,680 Speaker 1: team of producers also includes Wilco, Martinez Caccetro, and Me Morocca. 770 00:51:50,239 --> 00:51:53,799 Speaker 1: It was edited by Moral Walls and engineered by Josh Hahn, 771 00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:57,840 Speaker 1: with fat checking by Catherine Newhan. Our production company is 772 00:51:57,960 --> 00:52:02,440 Speaker 1: Neon Houm Media. Our chival producer doing his home state 773 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:06,239 Speaker 1: of Maine proud is Jamie Benson. Our theme music is 774 00:52:06,239 --> 00:52:11,400 Speaker 1: written by Daniel Hart. Indispensable support from Craig Swaggler, Dustin Gervei, 775 00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:15,640 Speaker 1: Alan Pang, Reggie Basil, and everyone at CBS News Radio. 776 00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:20,760 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Lena Nelson, Mary lou Till, Megan Marcus, 777 00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:25,640 Speaker 1: Barbara Quill for her reporting on Samantha's trip, and Alberto Robina, 778 00:52:26,480 --> 00:52:32,040 Speaker 1: and our deepest appreciation to Jane Smith, the Imperturbable Aaron 779 00:52:32,160 --> 00:52:36,440 Speaker 1: Shrank as our senior producer. Executive producers for Mobituaries include 780 00:52:36,640 --> 00:52:40,160 Speaker 1: Steve raise E's and Morocca. The series is created by 781 00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:43,839 Speaker 1: yours truly and as always, thanks to Rand Morrison and 782 00:52:43,960 --> 00:52:49,320 Speaker 1: John carp for helping breathe life into Mobituaries. M