Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3782
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 02-19-2024 12:56 PM
   
In 1972, a 12-year-old big "space buff" was invited by the U.S. Navy as a guest of honor aboard the USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14) during the Apollo 17 splashdown and recovery operations while at sea in the Pacific Ocean. The enthusiastic youngster would prepare and mail out cachet envelopes of his own silk-screen making from the aircraft carrier (see below) and he was also able to participate as an onboard Skylab prime recovery ship eyewitness for the splashdown crew returns of Skylab II (SL-3) and Skylab III (SL-4) in 1973-74.  The boy was given the full VIP treatment while ship-bound with dinners hosted by the ship's captains and visiting Task Force 130 admirals, lunches by the UTC recovery personnel, steering the carrier vessel from the bridge, launching a weather balloon from the flight deck, granted special onboard tours, and personal astronaut crew encounters, even as their sit-by dinner guest once the crews returned from space after their ocean recovery pickups. Once back home in the "Valley of the Sun," the boy prepared and wrote-up well-done professional printed copies of a full detailed account of his ship-bound experiences from start to finish. It's just fascinating reading and I was impressed by the so many incredible space souvenir gifts that were bestowed upon him, even by the astronauts themselves. There is a nice photo of him with Rear Admiral John Butts as commander of Task Force 130 and the Hawaiian Sea Frontier of the 14th Naval District. It was Admiral Butts that had invited the boy to make the Apollo 17 trip after learning that the boy was dying of cancer and had always been a big space fan. The photo is online courtesy of the Jean Hayden Museum along with another showing of the boy sitting beside LMP Jack Schmitt on the aircraft carrier Dec. 19, 1972 while steaming north to Hawaii. (Editor's note: Though the name of the boy can still seen on the covers and insert sheets, with Ken's agreement it has been omitted from the text. Later in his life, the boy [now a grown man] was sought for causing harm to a minor. Further, questions were raised about his cancer diagnosis.) |
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