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[i]Fifty years ago, on October 3, 1962 a New Jersey man soared to new heights — quite literally. Oradell-raised Wally Schirra, who had been selected as one of NASA's Mercury astronauts, was launched into outer space on the top of a mighty Atlas rocket. Wally orbited the Earth six times and returned to Earth as a genuine American Hero. Parades and acclaim followed, including a notable celebration in Oradell and Riveredge. Wally wasn't just America's hero, he was our hero, Bergen County's hero, New Jerseys's hero! He was a true success story for New Jersey education and personal determination. After graduating high school Wally entered the US Naval Academy and later became a US Naval Aviator and test pilot. He joined NASA at the first opportunity and was selected as one of seven astronauts — the Mercury Seven — the cream of the crop of US aviators and test pilots. After his historic flight in his Sigma 7 capsule Wally dove back into his work at NASA and flew into space twice more in the Gemini program and in the Apollo program. In fact, he was the ONLY person to fly in all three of those capsules. Wally was our first astronaut but other New Jersey residents followed — most notably Montclair-raised Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon. But Wally was the FIRST New Jerseyman in outer space. I had the opportunity to meet Wally a few times before his passing and still relish his stories and the laughter we shared. He was a good man, an inspiration to others and a perfect example of where a New Jersey education can lead a person. So now, fifty years later, we salute you Wally and thank you for your service to our country.[/i]
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