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Author
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Topic: Photo of the week 120 (February 17)
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heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 02-16-2007 08:46 AM
   
To inaugurate the new forum, I am posting this week's picture a day early.  Gus Grissom stands with Lola Morrow near the Gemini Mission Simulator at Cape Kennedy in this photo from the collection of J.L. Pickering. Lola, who is a regular at this forum, calls this photo one of her favorites. It was taken during training for Gemini-3 in late 1964. Lola says that Gus not only was training for that flight, but Deke Slayton also gave him the responsibility of getting the astronaut offices and quarters set up in the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building at KSC. Gus then delegated that job to Lola. She says: "The paper you see him looking at was a purchase order for JC Penney, in which I had listed the number of linens I would need for setting up the beds, bathroom, etc. It had to be expedited that day as we were getting ready to house the crew and I was given very short notice! I needed Gus's signature, so I could take the purchase order to Penney's in town to pick up the linens I had ordered and get them set up in the quarters that day!" "Gus had a crush on me, which I ignored. He also had a crush on Barbara Bel Geddes and Joanna Woodward and I was told I had a resemblance. So he had me go over the list, how many sheets, towels etc. were needed. I kept saying: Major Grissom, you really don't have to take the time to do this, it's all there. He was just keeping me there for whatever reason. I was getting short on patience as I had to leave the MSOB to go to the Flight Crew Training Building to get his signature and still have time to get to Penney's, then set up the beds and bathrooms, which all is very time-consuming. On top of it all, that is when the KSC photographer needed a photo that day for the newsletter article. So we had to pose for that. By the time I got the linens and all, the maids had gone home, so I stayed overtime to make up the beds etc. Penney's had to back order white towels, and gave me pink ones to use instead. Gus and John Young's reaction was quite funny." Lola says: "Ourside of the NASA family, everyone thinks that I was just a secretary and it's OK if I leave it at that. NASA didn't have a classifiction for "Den Mother". However, the real position varied so much ..I was a gal friday, confidane, big sister, den mother, public relations and social activities coordinator, whatever the occasion called for. To this day, the guys still refer to me as their den mother. Ed Hengeveld |
mercsim
Member Posts: 219
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 02-16-2007 09:01 AM
These photos have always been the highlight of my week. I download nearly everyone of them for easy reference in the future. Thank you Robert for reserving such a special place for these treasures and thank you Ed for your persistance and dedication to our hobby.Scott Todd |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 02-16-2007 11:41 AM
Great photo Ed, but I wish someone could do the same with unmanned spaceflight 
Working on my article series for 30 years Voyager, I contacted JPL and believe it or not, the majority of the Voyager assembly photo are hard to find, most were filed 'Unknown'.
Check: http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/image/assembly.html
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AstronautBrian
Member Posts: 287
From: Louisiana
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 02-16-2007 11:52 AM
Is it just me or did the women back then dress more classy than today?------------------
"I am sui generis; just leave it at that." - Huey P. Long |
Greggy_D
Member Posts: 977
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 02-16-2007 12:01 PM
It's not you. Gentlemen also dressed better back then.Awesome story on top of it. |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 02-16-2007 12:08 PM
This is terrific. Thank you very much for sharing. |
Rob Joyner
Member Posts: 1308
From: GA, USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 02-16-2007 02:09 PM
Ed,
Thank you 120 times!!!
Rob |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 02-16-2007 02:46 PM
Ed, great photo and story...Thanks for posting...and Robert thanks for adding this unique forum for Ed.
Tom |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 02-17-2007 07:37 AM
Ed-
Thanks for sharing the photo and congratulations on YOUR own forum! You deserve it.Lola- Thank you for the photo and for sharing the story with everyone. Will this be in your book too? Tim
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spacecraft films
Member Posts: 802
From: Columbus, OH USA
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 02-17-2007 09:58 AM
Thank you J.L. Pickering, through Ed, for sharing the photo. I know the work and time you've spent amassing your collection of images, and this is a great one... especially with the addition of Lola's story.Together you and Ed are the go to guys for a treasure of images, and we thank you! Mark |
rjurek349
Member Posts: 1190
From: Northwest Indiana
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 02-17-2007 10:56 AM
Ed,This is now my must go-to board here on CS. FANTASTIC once again. What a great behind the scene's shot! Rich |
wickball
Member Posts: 107
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 02-17-2007 11:13 AM
Does anyone know what happened to the simulator shown above?wick |
Steven Kaplan
Member Posts: 140
From: New Jersey
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 02-17-2007 12:18 PM
There is a similar looking Gemini simulator on display at the Astonuat Hall of Fame. Given the proximity of the Hall to the Kennedy Space Center, it's probably the same one, but I don't know that for certain. |
mikej
Member Posts: 481
From: Germantown, WI USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 02-17-2007 08:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Steven Kaplan:
There is a similar looking Gemini simulator on display at the Astonuat Hall of Fame. Given the proximity of the Hall to the Kennedy Space Center, it's probably the same one, but I don't know that for certain.
The one at the AHOF looks more like an actual Gemini spacecraft, with shingles and parachute cable trough:  |
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