In Memoriam: Samantha Smith

On August 25^th, 1985, Samantha Smith was killed in an airplane crash near Auburn, Maine. I intended to write this hub on the 25^th anniversary of that tragedy and, although the date has gone past, I still feel compelled to write about her. I don’t know how many Americans still remember her or even knew about her when this little girl with her winning smile dared to do what most politicians of her time were not able. For people living in the USSR Samantha Smith symbolized an irrational faith in a better world – no matter how naïve it sounds, but one has to realize above what apocalyptical abyss America and the Soviet Union were in the early 80s, before Perestroika and Schwarzenegger in the Red Square, to fully appreciate what this 11-year old girl did.

I remember how I was horrified by the prospect of a possible American nuclear attack in the early 80s and still can recall a nightmare I had in 1982 about a Pershing missile crossing the sky above our home. Maybe young Americans had similar fears...

One November day Samantha Smith saw a cover of Time Magazine that had a picture of the newly appoinhted Soviet leader Yuri Andropov, the former chief of KGB for 15 years. Upon reading the article in the magazine Samantha was concerned that under such a leader, in the light of increased tension between the two countries, a total nuclear war could break out any day threatning the very exitence of the earth. And she did quite an unusual thing for a very young American girl: she wrote a letter to the Kremlin boss. And even a more bizarre thing happened: she received a lengthy reply and invitation to visit the USSR from Andropov himself.

That's what Samantha wrote in her brief and simple letter:

“Dear Mr. Andropov,

My name is Samantha Smith. I am ten years old. Congratulations on your new job. I have been worrying about Russia and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are you going to vote to have a war or not? If you aren't please tell me how you are going to help to not have a war. This question you do not have to answer, but I would like to know why you want to conquer the world or at least our country. God made the world for us to live together in peace and not to fight.

Sincerely,

Samantha Smith.”

Andropov addressed her letter seriously: “Your question is the most important of those that every thinking man can pose. I will reply to you seriously and honestly… ” And further: “Yes, Samantha, we in the Soviet Union are trying to do everything so that there will not be war on Earth. This is what every Soviet man wants… ” And in the end: “[Come] and see for yourself: in the Soviet Union, everyone is for peace and friendship among peoples… ” Both Samantha’s letter and Andropov’s reply were published in the Soviet and American press. She accepted the invitation.

Samantha Smith arrived in the USSR with her parents on July 7, 1983. She visited Moscow, St. Petersburg and stayed in the children’s camp Artek in Crimea, having spent altogether three weeks in the USSR. The details of her visit were covered daily by the Soviet media. Russians saw the life of a real American girl in the Soviet Union, while Americans could enjoy an unprecedented coverage of Soviet life. Before her departure she had interviews with Ted Koppel and Johnny Carson. Samantha could not meet Andropov in person (he was severely ill at the time which was kept secret from public) but both exchanged a telephone conversation. Her bright enthusiasm and openness illuminated the gloomy Soviet political and social landscape of the summer 1983. “Let’s live!” said Samantha before leaving for home.

Of course, it was obvious that the Kremlin employed that opportunity to show off and present the USSR as a truly peaceful country. Nevertheless, it was very indicative that the Kremlin did venture into such an enterprise. As for Samantha, I’m sure she had a great time in the Soviet Union and genuinely appreciated the attention and interest her trip sparked across the globe. After her trip to the USSR Samantha took part in a similar action in Japan.

On the evening of August 25th, 1985, Samantha and her father were returning home from taping an episode of a new ABC TV series, ‘Lime Street’, a cast member of which Samantha was. Their small airplane almost made it to the landing lane of the Auburn, Maine, airport when the bad visibility compelled the plane to return to attempt another landing, which turned fatal. Official investigation concluded that it was an accident.

Truly shocked by such a premature death, Russians howevercame up with a theory it was a political murder, although I would never understand the reasons behind it. I heard such a concept myself back in 1985–86 so many times from people around me that I actually took it for a fact for many years. Only this anniversary brought back my memories and made me look into this matter one more time.

Samantha Smith was only 13 years old when she died and yet she'd had made an impact in the hearts of millions of people.