ER: My dad had a fair amount of self-confidence and bravado. When he was trying to investigate prison conditions he spent a week in Folsom Prison, which at the time was California's maximum security prison. And he spent it on death row. He had originally wanted to go into the prison undercover. Thankfully, the prison officials wouldn't allow him to do that.

And on the cell block they used to play chess. One person on the block would have the chess board and they would call out moves to each other. And this was a chess board they had made out of toothpaste and toilet paper with a cardboard board. When he left they presented the chess set to him. It became his prized possession.

The night before he went on the trip to Jonestown, he had had dinner at my apartment. I was going to college at Georgetown University, trying to teach myself how to cook. And we didn't talk a lot about the trip, it was just a chance to hang out with my dad. Dad had done a lot of adventurous things in his life and everything had always turned out well. You know, I think, looking back, if I'd known more I would've been more concerned.

I heard the news around eight or nine o' clock in the evening. And there was a flash news report on the television that said that a congressman has been shot and possibly killed. And pretty much that was it. It was gut wrenching, to not know what was happening. I mean, I can still feel it to this day when I think about it. It was brutal.

But it was when he died that we found the letter. The night before he married my mom, he wrote a letter to his children. And it's the most beautiful letter you can imagine about his hopes and dreams for his children in the future. And that was a tremendous gift to us.

You know, my message to the families of the victims of this tragedy -- Congresswoman Giffords and those who were killed -- feeling that gaping hole in your life it… I mean, for me it's been thirty-two years and it can still bring me to tears. But you can't make that a defining moment of your life. I've always said to myself that I was lucky that he was my dad, and I was lucky to have him for the years that I had him. And that's what you have to hold on to.