Author
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Topic: Suggestion: Remember the CMP Day (Oct. 11)
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alanh_7 Member Posts: 1252 From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 09-30-2013 11:47 AM
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
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posted 09-30-2013 01:34 PM
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
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posted 09-30-2013 02:15 PM
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
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posted 09-30-2013 02:56 PM
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 Member Posts: 281 From: Belleville, IL Registered: Jun 2011
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posted 09-30-2013 03:43 PM
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
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posted 09-30-2013 04:10 PM
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 Member Posts: 1673 From: Birmingham AL Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 09-30-2013 05:32 PM
I think sadly people are even forgetting who Neil and Buzz are. Other than Buzz was somebody on "Dancing with the Stars." |
onesmallstep Member Posts: 1310 From: Staten Island, New York USA Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 10-01-2013 09:02 AM
...or Woody's sidekick in the Toy Story movies |
Jerry Brouillette Member Posts: 147 From: Louviers, CO Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 10-01-2013 09:24 AM
"See you cats later." |
alanh_7 Member Posts: 1252 From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 10-13-2013 08:11 AM
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
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posted 10-17-2013 02:52 AM
And it was so nice to see the tribute to Stu Roosa, Apollo 14 CMP that USAA showed in their commercial on that day. |