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  Suggestion: Remember the CMP Day (Oct. 11)

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Author Topic:   Suggestion: Remember the CMP Day (Oct. 11)
alanh_7
Member

Posts: 1252
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 09-30-2013 11:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for alanh_7   Click Here to Email alanh_7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I posted this on my Facebook as a sort of joke but think it is something that should be remembered.
I recently saw a Delta Airlines commercial dedication to aviation pioneers, and during the commercial they thanked Neil (Armstrong) and Buzz (Aldrin) for their service an achievements and I realized that absent from the dedication was the third man of the Apollo 11 crew... that often forgotten Apollo crew member... that "other guy" Command Module Pilot Michael Collins.

As anyone who knows anything about the Apollo flights the command module pilot stayed in orbit around the moon while the other two crew members landed. While not as glamorous as walking on the moon. In many ways the Command Module Pilot had the most important job of the three since it was his job to look after the Command Module that would allow all three members return to earth safely.

The Command Module pilots have never got the credit they deserved.

We often have international days from everything from International Coffee day (Sept. 29) to International Save a spider day (March 14) so with some seriousness (but with tongue I cheek) and the 45th anniversary of the first manned Apollo mission (Apollo 7) coming up October 11 I propose October 11 as International Remember the Command Module Pilot day and dedicate October 11 to:

Roger Chafee, Don Eisele, James Lovell, David Scott, John Young, Michael Collins, Richard "Dick" Gordon, John L "Jack" Swigert, Stuart Roosa, Alfred Warden, Kenneth Mattingly, Ronald Evans. Skylab pilots Paul Weitz, Jack Lousma, Bill Pogue Apollo Soyuz docking pilot Donald 'Deke" Slayton.

The often Forgotten crew members... the Command Module Pilots.

onesmallstep
Member

Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 09-30-2013 01:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Actually, it should be Vance Brand, CMP on the US ASTP crew, instead of Slayton on your list.

hlbjr
Member

Posts: 475
From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 09-30-2013 02:15 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hlbjr   Click Here to Email hlbjr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I thought Ed White was the CMP on Apollo 1, no?

On a related note, I know the wives of the moon CDR's and LMP's were aware of the CMP's as they counted on the CMP's to go get their husbands if anything went wrong on lunar ascent. Mike Collins talked about that when he noted he would use extraordinary measures to rescue Neil and Buzz if needed and if he was unsuccessful, he'd come back to Earth a "marked man".

alanh_7
Member

Posts: 1252
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 09-30-2013 02:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for alanh_7   Click Here to Email alanh_7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was a little confused on ASTP since Deke according to his biography did some of the maneuvers during docking as the Docking Pilot, but Vance was technically the CMP. Let's add him to the list.

Ed White was listed as senior pilot while Roger Chaffee was listed as pilot. I am not sure what that means but I suppose that means he was CMP.

In any case since both Ed White and Roger Chaffee were listed as pilots, and both Vance and Deke both did some of the piloting, come Oct. 11 let's remember them all...

bwhite1976
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Posts: 281
From: Belleville, IL
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 09-30-2013 03:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bwhite1976   Click Here to Email bwhite1976     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by alanh_7:
...during the commercial they thanked Neil (Armstrong) and Buzz (Aldrin) for their service an achievements and I realized that absent from the dedication was the third man of the Apollo 11 crew...
In the case of the Delta commercial I think it was more of a word play on the first names of famous people more than a slight to Michael Collins. Imagine if they said "Pete and Alan" instead of "Neil and Buzz"? The general public, for the most part, would not have a clue who they were. They left out Charles Lindbergh for the same reason. If they said "Thank you Charles" I think the effectiveness of the commercial would be reduced as well.

I agree with in that it is a shame that the CMP's are unknown in a sense to the general public.

alanh_7
Member

Posts: 1252
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 09-30-2013 04:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for alanh_7   Click Here to Email alanh_7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I agree it was a play on words in the commercial. But it did make me think.
As often as not people do not remember the third Apollo 11 crew member's name. The average person could not name the guys who went to the moon from any of the missions beyond Apollo 11.

It reminds me of the tv commercial Pete Conrad did for a major credit card company (for whom I work): "Do you know me... I'm the" but in reality beyond Apollo 11 sadly few people recall the names of many of them.

fredtrav
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Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010

posted 09-30-2013 05:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fredtrav   Click Here to Email fredtrav     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I think sadly people are even forgetting who Neil and Buzz are. Other than Buzz was somebody on "Dancing with the Stars."

onesmallstep
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Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 10-01-2013 09:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
...or Woody's sidekick in the Toy Story movies

Jerry Brouillette
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Posts: 147
From: Louviers, CO
Registered: Jul 2006

posted 10-01-2013 09:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jerry Brouillette   Click Here to Email Jerry Brouillette     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
"See you cats later."

alanh_7
Member

Posts: 1252
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 10-13-2013 08:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for alanh_7   Click Here to Email alanh_7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I hope everyone remembered this past Friday was International Remember a Command Module Pilot day

Jay Chladek
Member

Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007

posted 10-17-2013 02:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jay Chladek   Click Here to Email Jay Chladek     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
And it was so nice to see the tribute to Stu Roosa, Apollo 14 CMP that USAA showed in their commercial on that day.

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