In 1982, a ten year old American schoolgirl from Maine wrote a letter to newly appointed Communist Party Secretary General Yuri Andropov stating her concern about nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the United States. Andropov replied personally to Samantha's letter and invited her to visit the Soviet Union, which she promptly accepted.
The incident caught media attention around the world, and Samantha was soon dubbed the world's Youngest Ambassador For Peace. At age 13, she and her father were on their way back from one of Samantha's appearances when their aircraft crashed during landing, killing all aboard. Among those sending condolences in addition to President Ronald Reagan was former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
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