posted 11-16-2005 07:00 PM               

I just returned from the San Diego Aerospace Museum where NASA presented Wally Schirra with the Ambassador of Exploration Award. The award is a 1/2" piece of a moon rock that's encapsulate in a round lucite holder that's shaped identical to the AP17 foil presentation.

The event was great, Wally was in fine humor as usual and many of his old friends were in attendance. Wally's wife Jo & daughter Stephanie were sitting front & center to enjoy the presentation. The SD mayor's rep gave Wally a nice letter, as did Arnold our Gov, the actor who played Wally on FETTM and the ultra left wing Calif. senator, who thinks the space program money should go to the homeless, Barbara Boxer.

A gentleman who Wally worked closely with on Apollo 7 gave a very nice speech about what it was like during the days of the space race and the changes made to the CM after AP1. He also spoke about how Wally found a few floating washers & nuts when AP7 got into orbit and Wally mounted them, then presented them to these guys as mementos. He said it was the KSC guys who put them in there to make the NAA guys look bad, LOL. Suprisingly he also spoke of the toll taken on the families & marriages of workers of the space program. In his words, "Apollo sucked you in, drained every drop and then spit you out?. He also said that Jo, should receive a chip of that moon rock and have it mounted on a ring for enduring everything she went through during Wally's time away.

There were a few "gotcha" stories, the new SDAM museum president was great, he thanked Wally for all of his support of the SDAM and in turn, the museum renamed the space display room, "The Walter M. Schirra Jr. Space Gallery". The new president & I spoke for a few minutes and he seemed like genuinely nice gentleman who will take this museum to the next level.

The highlight of course was seeing Wally again, he is such a joy to talk to and I swear, I could listen to him speak for hours & hours. What's truly extraordinary about him is that he asks people questions and is interested in others, so it makes for an unforgetable experience. He is a very warm, very genuine guy who loves to crack jokes and is a very gracious person. He then mingled with everyone, happily took photos with and signed a few things for people, then went into a private lunch.

IMHO, he is truly one of this nations hero's and I was so happy to be able to attend this event.

After the event, I got to go visit some of my favorite artifacts that I have on loan to the museum and it's always fun to see my babies. Wally remembered signing the Lunar Orbiter, we had a good laugh when he said it reminded him of a BBQ. Then he signed my large MOON book by Abrams and I left a very happy person.

Tomorrow evening, I'm in Lancaster for the Dr. Hansen signing and some behind the scenes stories of Neil Armstrong, as told by his friends. That should be a ton of fun.

Sorry for the long post.

posted 11-16-2005 07:13 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Spacepsycho:
Hello Everyone,
A gentleman who Wally worked closely with on Apollo 7

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That would probably be Dale Myers - he was there...