posted 03-12-2009 06:47 PM               

A few worked for NASA on the Cape and at Marshall. The rest of us worked for the contractors such as Boeing and Chrysler.

posted 03-12-2009 07:46 PM               

And while the astronauts may not be specifically aware of your role, many are the first to point out that their flights would have been impossible without the contributions of hundreds of thousands of people who remained on the ground.

posted 03-13-2009 09:47 AM               

And, yes I have started a book. We have found less than 50 other women. This is our purpose: To get known nationwide - we all have been neglected and put off for too long and to find the rest of women engineers. I will be commenting on this site when I am able but I have a book out and publishers want authors to market their own books.

posted 03-13-2009 09:52 AM               

Your comment that we think the astronauts did everything reflects your view that we do spend a lot of time discussing them. But that is only because we didn't know about your involvement.

You will find that many of us will want to learn more about your role in the 20th century's greatest adventure. I hope you take great comfort in knowing that you and your associates played an important part. For that fact alone you have earned our admiration and respect.

posted 03-13-2009 10:07 AM               

There are still way to many stories to tell and we look forward to hearing yours. You have much to say and to inspire.

posted 03-13-2009 11:32 AM               

I think you're right in that the contributions of women to the engineering of the space program is understudied and not well documented, which is why it is up to people like you who lived that experience to share with the rest of us. I also believe your situation is exacerbated by the fact that you worked for a contractor. NASA kept many records about its own people's work, but very little about anyone who wore a contractor badge. Likewise, the astronauts would've dealt more directly and frequently with the civil servants at MSC and KSC than with their equally valuable contractor counterparts.

posted 03-13-2009 01:12 PM               

“Pilots might have the Right Stuff, but Engineers have the Real Stuff”

posted 03-13-2009 03:14 PM            

To the untrained observer, the Space Program was very much a man's world up through the early '70's. There were no female astronauts, very, very few female engineers and probably no female managers or technicians.

However, there was a huge force of brilliant, dedicated and competent women who made the whole Program go - and of all the memoirs I've seen written by leaders from those times, I've never seen any who give the ladies the recognition, acknowledgment and gratitude they so strongly deserve.

These were the secretaries and assistants, typists and bookkeepers, file clerks and accountants who quietly supported, scheduled, recorded and wrote the checks for every step of our path into space and to the moon. Without them, the Program would have come to a screeching halt in no time.

Our little SPDF was too small to even have one secretary of our own, but there were RCA, GE and TRW offices upstairs and elsewhere that we could lean on for typing and other documentation; and they didn't hesitate to lean on any of our supervisors to remind them of meetings, appointments and deadlines.

Since I was, more often than not, the message boy - I got to know "the Girls" well and learned to appreciate their mastery of all things involving time and money and paper... and gossip. Among the women piloting the desks of NASA and its contractors, there seemed to be no dividing line between corporation or government, labor or management. They just seemed to uncannily "know" things- often sooner and more accurately than their male supervisors, managers and directors.

They knew the responsibilities of every department, company or individual. They knew the status of every contract. They knew when every meeting was scheduled, and knew WHEN to schedule meetings based on availability of key personnel. In short, they seemed to be telepathic.

Many years later when I returned to the Cape as a contractor, I instinctively knew I could always count on the desk girls to get the straight scoop on anything. You could even ask a question about something going on miles away on the far side of the base - they would know.

posted 03-13-2009 07:03 PM               

We know what you mean as it was like that out here - we have a few of the women retirees that still have a number of wonderful stories to tell us as they come in here upon discovering us.

As I was too young during Apollo, I love to hear them as we have the women that washed and cleaned Apollo parts to a couple of the chaperones that led the astronauts around (I love those stories). Their photos always seem to have those large boufant(?) hairstyles - and much shorter dresses than today!

posted 03-13-2009 08:45 PM               

Me? Even though I didn't get myself into the aerospace industry (as I wanted to, but that's another story), I've "kept the dream alive" since 1969 by building and flying scale model rockets of the Apollo era. Most recently, I was one of the modelers who built the Saturn 1-B used as centerpieces for the Apollo 7/Saturn 1-B Celebration for Walt Cunningham and the Apollo 7 crew in Dallas last October.

posted 03-13-2009 10:33 PM               

There is another segment of society oft overlooked, and that is what you bring to the table.

I would also recommend that you check into the Space Walk of Fame in Titusville, a group of retired spaceworkers (non astronauts) who have done a truly tremendous job of promoting those who SENT the astronauts into space. While they've not specifically lauded the women members, I can well see them doing so.

posted 03-14-2009 11:47 AM               

He received an Air Medal for saving three lives in awful conditions. I LOVE MY MARINES! In the 60's I had my own plane — a Piper Commanche and I flew all over Louisiana and Texas. Girls weren't supposed to fly then, either. We all have served our country with the greatest honor. We have not sought recognition because the fact of what we all did is enough. Last May my husband and I went to the Cape to watch the launch of the Shuttle Discovery (which was awsome BTW). We are only 4 hours away. I had never seen a live launch. We would lose our jobs if we left work during Apollo. The Cape has a building called "the Apollo Exhibit". I walked in the door and there it was: my beautiful S1-C stage and the entire Saturn V. I was crying because I had not seen it in 40 years. My husband was embarassed because I was crying and I told him to "stick it". I think I am the only gal who loves rockets and aviation.

Oh, I have so much to tell you — where all the bodies are buried. What NASA did and did not do. The secrets. Engineers working for the contractors could not talk to folks in different plants. I was on a great team but we weren't allowed to know anything except our own work. We were "The Peons in the Pits".

I am going to tell you what I did. I worked in the Michoud Plant in New Orleans. Boeing assembled the S1-C stage. Chrysler (under North A. Aviation) assembled the 2nd stage (S-II-??). NASA must have given numbers to each stage for each mission. Our stage for Apollo 11 was the S1-C-6. Each stage was assembled and tested in record time. I think I worked on 12-14 stages in three years. I was amazed at the careful work done by the techs. Boeing had a big sign in the plant that said "xxx accident-free days". Boeing was on one part of he plant and Chrysler in the other. Our guys when they spotted a Chrysler engineer said, "na, naa our stage is bigger than your stage".

Many cups of water were thrown back and forth. The bosses would say, "cut it out or put a lid on it" and other unmentionables. And you thought all was dignified. Ha! Ha!

There was another gal named Sally and we were the only two women engineers in the entire plant.

Our team was Systems Test Engineering. We took the pulse of the stage. Data came to us through ODOP transponders in the form of analog Pulse Code Modulation, Pulse Amplitude Modulation and Single Side Band.

The F-1 Engines were gimbled by Trigometery.

We were some of the best problem solvers of our stage. It had better be perfect-lives depended on our work. We had to ferret out the cause of engine fires (Aarrgghh), leaks in pressuration tanks (helium and hydrogen) and in many other aspects of our stages.

This was serious business despite the kidding around. Our stages were test fired at the Mississippi Test Site (now Stennis).

If you have seen a launch of the Saturn V, ignition is OUR stage and the flight up to 38 miles with the enormous exhaust flame is OUR stage. Our stage was the absolute crucial one — no matter what anyone says.

Here are the stats: We generated 7.5 million pounds of thrust, in 2.5 minutes at 6,000 MPH we boosted the Saturn V 38 miles. There are at least 14 S1-C stages at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

posted 03-14-2009 05:41 PM            

Incidentally (and not at all to burst your bubble...I hope ), the S-IC on display at KSC was actually a test stage built at Marshall and not Michoud. However, the S-IC-D on display in Huntsville was the first stage Michoud produced. In fact, I'm using S-IC-D as the basis the 1/96 scale Saturn V model I'm working on.

posted 03-15-2009 12:07 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Darron:
On the topic of Women in the Apollo Program, thought I would share this snip of some memoirs I wrote a few years ago

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posted 03-15-2009 01:04 PM               

When Star Trek premiered in 1966, we all would rush home on Friday nights to watch the program. I bet William Shatner, Leonard Nemoy and the rest of the cast had not a clue as to how they became part of Apollo.

I am going to tell you a secret: Just about everyone I met at Michoud felt the same.

We DID NOT do this amazing project for our government, NASA, to beat the communists or for our companies. We did this because we loved our astronauts and we wanted them to be safe. You cannot imagine how we felt at every launch. Some of us cried.

And then when Apollo 11 landed, we screamed, we cried and we jumped up. "Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed". Over a BILLION people worldwide heard those words.

WE did it -- we made history. We changed the world. We were just a bunch of kids.

posted 03-15-2009 04:22 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by albatron:
I would also recommend that you check into the Space Walk of Fame in Titusville, a group of retired spaceworkers (non astronauts) who have done a truly tremendous job of promoting those who SENT the astronauts into space.

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posted 03-15-2009 07:03 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by sara1861:
I would love to get the above message to any astronaut. But it will never be. I do not know how to reach any of them.

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posted 03-16-2009 05:57 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by MCroft04:
Sara, there are astronauts (even Apollo ones) who read this forum.

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posted 03-16-2009 06:06 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by E2M Lem Man:
Welcome Sara from the old NAA-Downey Apollo construction site!

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posted 03-16-2009 06:24 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr Meek:
Incidentally (and not at all to burst your bubble...)

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posted 03-17-2009 12:42 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by sara1861:
I have been told before that the astronauts read this or that. But it is strange that I never read or see or hear them. Maybe they hate me.

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posted 03-17-2009 11:43 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by sara1861:
I think I am the only gal who loves rockets and aviation.

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Think again! I've always been a total sucker for Saturn Vs and Stearmans, and everything in between! And years ago, I built (and flew) hang gliders daily.

posted 03-17-2009 12:56 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by sara1861:
Neil Armstrong hid somewhere for many years...

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posted 03-17-2009 04:24 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Darron:
I'm sure I'm not the only guy who gets a little teary-eyed every time I visit that Saturn V at the Cape.

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posted 03-17-2009 04:48 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by blue_eyes:
I've always been a total sucker for Saturn Vs and Stearmans, and everything in between!

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posted 03-21-2009 12:43 PM               

I now live in Tallahassee, Fl. The local paper wrote a wonderful article about me. I have been featured on two television stations.

No one cares. This is the weirdest town we have ever lived in. I have offered my presentation FREE to anyone including the school board. Nope. Nothing. Nada. Yet folks in Louisiana and Texas really want me to come and talk to them. People rather see a football game than a Shuttle Launch.

posted 03-21-2009 01:43 PM               

Be happy with the fact that your efforts contributed to one of earth's greatest adventures and those that love you and know you the best hold that in high regard, but love you for totally different reasons.

posted 03-21-2009 03:01 PM               

My husband and I and our children have lived all over this country -- from Louisiana to Virginia and other places. We have seen many things and met many wonderful people. This town is the weirdest place we've ever lived in.

Here is why I am irritated: I volunteered to speak and show my video to the schools here for FREE. The head guy of the math and science programs met with me over a month ago. I have been approached by other organizations. Then -- nothing. RUDE. That is the way it is here. I have life-long friends all over the U.S. from California to Maryland and Ohio and many places in between.

I would love to leave this rude place and someday we will. Even our neighbors are rude and cold. It is not just us -- I have met many folks who feel the same way.

I cannot change anyone -- only myself. But I can avoid the rude idiots. In every neighborhood we have lived in the neighbors get to know each other and bring welcoming gifts. This place might as well be in "Lost" which it was.

I was talking to a Rotary club one day and it was a disaster. I thought it was funny.

None of their equipment worked (Laptop), DVD, screen and whatall. The members were almost sound asleep (they were in their 80s).

posted 03-21-2009 05:48 PM               

As far as educators go, most of them that are teaching the children today don't remember much to anything about that period in our history and it doesn't interest them. If some students should be fortunate enough to run into the few that do know and care, they are quite lucky. My wife is an American Literature teacher in high school. I am a Vietnam Vet. She was born in 1961, remembers little to nothing about the moon landing in 1969 and doesn't care to, even though space travel, manned or unmanned is one of my passions. Having been there, I ask her why she teaches "Johnny Has a Gun" about Vietnam when she could be teaching about one of the earth's greatest adventures. Her answer, we already have the books to use and lesson plans set for "Johnny Has a Gun". I just shake my head in amazement that anyone would want to know about and glorify war, but disregard maybe the biggest peaceful undertaking of our time. I understand it was done for cold war supremacy, but the comparison between cold war and real war is too far off the scale to even use the same word "war". The term "Cold War" smacks in the face of every actual war any earthly person ever gave their life, shed blood or spent a part of their life for.

I don't know if you know of the rock band Ten Years After. They wrote a song that suits this constant debated topic of why people don't know more and don't seem to want to know more or care about space travel. The song "I'd Love to Change the World" goes... "I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what to do, so I'm leaving it up to you".