posted 01-26-2002 02:41 AM               

I remember the visit I did at Arlington National Cemetery on Veteran's Day of 2000. Quite early in the morning, I climbed the small hill where Gus and Roger lay. I was alone there, and stayed for a long while.

Then I went down the hill just in time to get in for the ceremony honored by then president Clinton. The twenty-one cannon shots fired nearby at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier were very moving...

posted 01-28-2002 06:38 PM               

"While training in celestial navigation, however, Mr. Grissom quietly incorporated three new names onto NASA's star list: Dnoces, Navi and Regor. In later missions these three maverick stars were accorded the same respect as celebrated ones like Sirius, Vega and Aldebaran. But what did they stand for? As it turns out, Dnoces is the word "second" spelled backward, a reference to the ordinal number often appended to Mr. White's name. Navi was Mr. Grissom's middle name (Ivan) spelled backward, and Regor was Roger Chaffee's first name in reverse. These unofficial names were later incorporated into many star charts and atlases. But, of course, Mr. Grissom had no idea that his celestial jest would turn into a memorial to himself and his crewmates. All three died in a fire that enveloped the Apollo command module 35 years ago today."

posted 01-29-2002 06:40 PM               

Thank you for finding that story. What issue of the New York Times did the story appear in?

Thanks