石塚勲ＪＡＡＧＡ会長は平成１４年１月３１日に発生したスペース・シャトル「コロンビア」号の事故の報に接し、会を代表して在日米空軍司令官ワスコー中将に弔意のＥメールを送るとともに、在米の各名誉会員にその写しを送付しました。司令官等から丁重な返書がありました。送りましたメールは下記の通りです。

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Dear Gen. Waskow

　　On behalf of all members of JAAGA, I would like to express my deepest condolence to the accident of your space shuttle "Columbia" on the first of February in the United States.  I very much admire the bravery of the US which has been leading the program and astronauts who joined it, both knowing its difficulties.  I am sure your people will overcome those difficulties by changing the sorrow into the lessons.

Gen.(Ret.) Isao Ishizuka, President, JAAGA