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Author
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Topic: NAHF Dinner
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dbeigie
Member Posts: 160
From: Seattle, WA USA
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 07-17-2004 12:45 PM
   
A few other tidbits.Anders was surprisingly pleasant. He did not sign any autographs -- but he and the other Apollo 8 crewmembers posed for pictures. Frank Borman was wonderful -- signing several pieces for me to help me round out my collection. The hanger stories brought some interesting and surprising revelations. Bill Anders said flying missions in Iceland was much more difficult than flying to the moon. And Frank Borman said he was "done" with Apollo after the Apollo 8 mission. He said "I didn't give a damn about going around picking up moon rocks." He also remarked that the Apollo 8 crew was unique in that all of the marriages lasted through the mission and into later life. I thought that was an interesting thing to say given that Armstrong was in the audience and remarried. The best story of the night was from Joe Engle who talked about crashing in a helicopter loaded with deer meat for Deke Slayton. He was picking up the meat when the investigators stopped him and asked him not to touch the accident scene victims -- to which Engle replied -- "but I've got hungry guys to feed." All in all a great evening David |
Mike Isbell
Member Posts: 551
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 07-17-2004 02:03 PM
Actually, Gen. Anders and Capt. Lovell did sign a hanfull of autographs for children who were in attendence - I did not see either of them sign anything for any of the adults. I was somewhat suprised that Col. Borman said that he became an astronaut because he felt that NASA was an extension of his Air Force duties. True, as Gen. Anders quoted Col. Borman, the Apollo program was part of the cold war - it certainly was. However, I had the impression that Col. Borman, and the rest of the astronaut corps, joined up out of a desire to fly higher, farther and faster. I don't recall having read anything in Col. Borman's book 'Countdown' stating otherwise.
Also, while speaking with Neil Armstrong, he said that he was working on a book about the space program as he saw it, he made clear that this is not an auto biography, and said that he had no target publication date at this time. |
BLACKARROW
unregistered
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posted 07-17-2004 05:02 PM
David,
When Frank Borman said he was "done with Apollo after Apollo 8", did he give the impression that he was satisfied to have commanded the first mission to leave Earth and visit another world, and that he couldn't top that, so it was pointless going back into rotation for a later landing mission?Mike,
Fascinating revelation about Neil Armstrong's literary plans! Let's hope he maintains his enthusiasm and finishes the book! |
AuthenticItems
Member Posts: 184
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2002
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posted 07-19-2004 09:46 AM
"He also remarked that the Apollo 8 crew was unique in that all of the marriages lasted through the mission and into later life. I thought that was an interesting thing to say given that Armstrong was in the audience and remarried."
I thought that was an odd choice of something to say as well, but it is the truth.
I had a great time at this event, I had good luck with the signatures, getting all I wanted with no Armstrong's of course. I asked Armstrong about his biography and if he planned to tour on its behalf and he implied he wasn't going to since it was only a biography and not an autobiography.
[This message has been edited by AuthenticItems (edited July 19, 2004).] |
Mike Isbell
Member Posts: 551
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 07-19-2004 10:05 AM
Did Gen. Anders insist on personalising what he signed ? |
Wehaveliftoff
Member Posts: 2343
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 07-19-2004 08:32 PM
Lovell & Anders did sign if you weren't around many or any people. Borman was the exact opposite of Armstrong, a normal well rounded social great human being. I've never met a more abnormally nervous individual (Neil) when only 2 or even one normal person was around he didn't personally know . I overheard one of the declarations by Neil about him not caring in the least about doing a "tour" and as it seemed to me, not much care about the book one way or another.Chuck Yaeger signed his autobiographies willingly.
Engle & Borman were the best, no egos in the least.
Paul Tibbets signed my program from last year. Dennis Quaid signed sparingly, now I see how he stayed married to Meg Ryan for that long. Spider man uncle Cliff Robertson was the absolute nicest, 300+ million for the sequel already & he said he was going to be in the 3rd as well. Much smaller crowd than last year but overall nice, would've been fabulous if more completes on the Apollo crew were done, as it was the only attractive marketing in this years selection process.
Next year's prospects are already being mulled over. |
Wehaveliftoff
Member Posts: 2343
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 07-19-2004 08:36 PM
Yes, Bill Anders personalized all, sometimes first & last. He constantly walked across the street away from all else's path route to the event. |
Jake
Member Posts: 464
From: Issaquah, WA U.S.A.
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 07-19-2004 11:10 PM
A wonderful several days... All of the folks who attended seemed very aproachable and joined in casual conversation easily. Since there were a series of small meetings supporting the National Aviation Hall of Fame which went on all weekend, I had a chance to share some nice conversations with Neil, Frank, Jim, and Bill at times other than at the event itself. Those afternoon conversations seemd a great deal more relaxed. The evening event with about 900 folks was just a bit overwhelming. Later that night I bumped into a man who I have been working with on a publishing project for over three years. We had never actually met in person and neither of us knew the other was going to be there.... so you never know what thes kind of gatherings will bring. Since quite a few of the astronauts present are friends of mine, this event was mostly about being there and learning more about spaceflight than anything else.... it is truly cool to be inspired by their lives.
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Jake Schultz - curator,
Newport Way Air Museum (OK, it's just my home) |
Mike Isbell
Member Posts: 551
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 07-20-2004 06:46 PM
All members of the Apollo 8 crew had marriages that remain intact and if you add Michael Collins, who was originaly supposed to fly on Apollo 8, these four marriages are the only ones to have survived in the 2nd and 3rd groups of astronauts. Perhaps there was something about Apollo 8 that held marriages together. |
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