Samantha Smith, is interviewed on Nightline by Ted Koppel on

The first child to join the Honorary Board of Advisors to the Children's Peace Foundation, Samantha Smith, is interviewed on Nightline by Ted Koppel on ABC News.

[@joetenista]

what a bright, compassionate child she was. she's an awesome role model... she should be remembered by kids nowadays to show them what a kid can do by the time they're 11.

[@dasmysteryman12]

RIP Samantha Smith. She was a champion of peace. She showed that anyone, even a kid, can bring people together in peace and harmony.

[@sierralacroix9105]

Samantha smith is my hero she is so amazing!I can't believe she had the courage to do that.Like my comment if you agree with me!

[@flames24lightning]

She seemed so sweet! Her end was truly the saddest I'd ever heard, but somehow, I feel as if she's with us forever, even 24 years later.

[@tanyalee8]

I was very lucky to be with Samantha in pioneer camp "Artek" in USSR. It was in 1983 or 1984. I remember the firework wich was specialy for this girl and thousands of children who were shouted Sa-Man-tha! Sa-man-tha! It was really big event in Artek and in all USSR.

[@JayBrew391]

She died before her teens doing more good for the world than most people would have ever dreamed about doing. Maybe she dindt realize the impact she has had on the world with a simple letter, but she will be remembered for it.

[@snoops71]

So intelligent and articulate. She was only a year younger than me. I wonder what her life would be like now..

[@0924zero]

We need more people like her and also R.I.P samantha

[@woah455]

When I have a daughter, I hope she is just like this girl..

[@myshkas]

Thank you for posting it! I still have a newspaper clip which is more than 20 years old about her visit. She was my age when she came to Russia, and I wanted to meet her desperately and cried so much when she died!

[@BoberMcBoberson]

Yes. She was on Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808, when it crashed August 25, 1985. She was only 13:(

[@Serega2000L]

Samantha Smith - героиня холодной войны! Прекрасная как сказочная маленькая Фея! Своей добротой и открытостью она сделала больше многих политиков! Которая сделала очень много для мира и мирного неба!

[@user-rz8kd2xe2l]

Очень хорошая.девочка.была.нам.нравилось.вечная.ей.память.очень.жаль.

[@Serega2000L]

Samantha Smith - the heroine of the Cold War! Beautiful as a fairy little fairy! By their kindness and openness she did more than most politicians! Who has done a lot for peace and the peace of heaven!

[@Marbles471]

I love how urbane, old-school Ted Koppel is treating this like any other interview----he's not talking down to her at all.

[@RedPolarBearRanger]

It sad that this girl's life was cut short in that plane crash and also at the time the same man who killed Rebecca Schaeffer had also stalked her too until her death and a what pervert the man was too not just stalking Schaeffer but also this sweet innocent little girl too. RIP Samantha may you live on in spirit and continue to inspire people to be like you a quest for peace.

[@sunbecomesea]

In August 1982 I wrote a letter to Russia, put it in a bottle, and threw it into a canal that I thought would lead out to the ocean and to the USSR. I was 6 years old. It was found by the local newspaper and the associated press picked up on it. I was invited to go to Russia as an Ambassador of Peace by Friendship Force International and almost went on Good Morning America. I didn't go because it wasn't the best situation for my father to let me.

[@OutlandsCommunity]

Thanks for posting this, it is a beautiful tribute to a forgotten and courageous young lady.

[@GWhiz99]

Its noted that Samantha Reed Smith wrote a letter to Soviet leader Yuri AnDROPov soon after hie succeeded Leonid Brezhnev (b. December 19, 1906). Jerry Gonzalez was born on JUNE 29, 1972-the very same day as Samantha Smith-and assigned 116-60-4864, but its not related to 378-32-7108. Thats despite 116 reminding of the short bus and ending 4864.

[@CadillacL]

I remmeber hearing whens he died. VERY sad. R.I.P. :(

[@TheVoiceOfReason93]

@1916jutland On the brighter note, she helped to precipitate world peace, something most leaders cannot do, and when she was still so young. Now THAT is the ultimate glory that not many would ever achieve in their life time. RIP Samantha (PS Its a pity though that by her actions Conservatives would had accused her of being a traitor)

[@SolidSnake311]

Poor girl :( A poor young girl died in such a ridiculous way... There is no good in this world... More people should remember her, and despite what she did was not gonna change the world, at least she was concerned... We should advocate ourselves to prevent more wars. R.I.P Samantha, wherever you're.

[@Amarinoify]

I will always remember Samantha. She is a little angel of the world. Very mysteriously died (((((((((((((((With love from Russia

[@wbc1]

The plane she died in crashed at 10:05 pm on 8/25/1985. I was born on 8/25/1985 at 4:01 pm. While researching interesting events that have occured on my birthday, I happened to have stumbled upon the death of Samantha Smith.

[@Crusadist1099]

Vladimir Kulagin read Gorbachev's letter of condolence. There is no mention of him being the Soviet ambassador. Reagan did send his personal condolences to Samantha's mom. Samantha had no official status and was not entitled to a representative. To send one to the funeral of a child idealist would have set a bad precedent.

[@besiknibladze]

I miss you Samantha...

[@ekaterinaaxel1967]

No matter for what reason she dead - it's really mistake of a pilot or she was killed - too sad realize it. She deserved to live. And if it true and she's been killed it's a big shame to those who did it. She could to continue make this world better. I would be always remember you, Samantha. Неважно, по какой причине она умерла - это действительно ошибка пилота или её убили - слишком грустно осознавать это. Она заслуживала того, чтобы жить. И если это правда, и её убивали, это большой позор для тех, кто это сделал. Она могла бы продолжать делать этот мир лучше. Я всегда буду помнить тебя, Саманта.

[@CUBANIDAD]

The US killed this wonderful little girl!

[@a2dsmusic]

R.I.P Samantha

[@stoneygator]

Remarkable young lady regardless of weather she was used or not. There's a slightly interesting "rest of the story" here. Samantha was stalked by Robert John Bardo, a piece of trash from Tucson, AZ. After Samantha's tragic death, Bardo turned his attention to Rebecca Schaffer who starred in the sitcom My Sister Sam with Pam Dawber. He murdered Schaffer in July '89 and was successfully prosecuted by Marcia Clark of OJ Simpson infamy.

[@Mascherina1964]

@TELEVISIONARCHIVES Children hear their parents and are very worried when they see their parents fearful about something (Remember, in a child's mind, parents are all powerful and are there to protect.) When I was young, I heard my parents talk about the Vietnam War and I found it scary (even though this war was far far away!) Think about 9/11 and how it has affected the kids of today... Cheers

[@Cakerolled]

She's so cute

[@1501007551]

she sounds smart for her age, sad she died so young...

[@iLLWiLLTheMiCK]

@joetenista no... its not about what one can do by a time deadline but its what one can do.

[@gigobait]

@guitargirl13forever Apply to MIT right away! No need to waste time with your talent

[@cbradley1391]

more people need to think like this girl. stop bitching about whos country is more powerful and just live and let live.

[@SonofThor73]

I remember reading about her when I was in 5th grade. I always thought it was interesting that a kid my age would take this cause on. I'm sure her parents gave her the idea, as well as politicians using her for political gains. But it was still courageous.

[@ActiveStorage]

why is that?

[@Crusadist1099]

Your point is?

[@melijaje06]

who plays the song in the beginning?

[@rickyseabra]

@gablio77 Uh... Premier Yuri Adropov Kremlin, Red Square Moscow, USSR?

[@Crusadist1099]

Uh huh,the Soviets showed themselves to be such peaceful folks in turning eastern Europe and central Asia into giant prisons for five decades. Thankfully for us and the now-free people of Poland and the Baltics and a bunch of other nations, we listened to Reagan and his educated, experienced staff, not to a child who wasn't even in high school. If my daughter said she wanted to make the world a better place, I'd tell her she could start with cleaning her room.

[@Crusadist1099]

MMMhmm, I'm sure that's EXACTLY how the people of Eastern Europe saw it. BTW, the Baltics and Armenia were seized long before WWII. Poland successfully threw back the USSR's first advances and they'd have done it again but for the now-admitted Katyn Forest massacre.

[@Crusadist1099]

I see. And that justifies not garrisoning but conquest? I am not blaming Carter for the failure of detente, that was being cheated on LONG before him and only ended when Reagan walked away from the table in Iceland. I blame him for his poor handling of every crisis, topped with wringing his hands while the Soviets made inroads in Nicaragua and tried to conquer Afghanistan.

[@AlgerianBanjo]

While this is cute, deep down it was little more than than the age old tradition of using sweet and innocent kids for government propaganda.

[@Crusadist1099]

Uh huh. And is that why we put them in Germany and Italy too? Thatcher didn't need appeasing. It was her and Reagan, together with the moral support of Walesa and JPII, that sealed the doom of the Soviet Union, and the world is better off without it.

[@Crusadist1099]

Then why defend those evil actions? Samantha appears to have been a sweet kid, but in the end we don't look to kids to lead the way, whatever the Bible says. Let's not forget that Jimmy Carter's attempts to deal with the Soviets by pretending they weren't so bad had met with clear failure.

[@sarzamineiran]

CIA killed her.

[@gigobait]

Remember when kids at 11 could talk to world leaders and now they can't add 7+14. But they can sure eat them Hot pockets good :)

[@Crusadist1099]

I see. So Reagan should have come to the table when he would have been dealing from a position of weakness rather than a position of strength? Never mind that Chernenko was more of a physical wreck during his brief time in power than Reagan ever was. You are what Lenin called a "useful idiot."

[@Crusadist1099]

So this gave them the right to encourage terrorism and turn continents into prison? Please explain the connection.

[@MishaPilsudski]

she die on a plane ummmmm....

[@MBurg2007]

to bad she died.....sad