Author
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Topic: Turtle Club and NASA's early astronauts
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moorouge Member Posts: 2470 From: U.K. Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 05-21-2020 01:50 AM
Most of the early astronauts became members of Wally Schirra's Turtle Club. Part of their indoctrination into the Club was to answer a series of questions. For many years I have known just one of those questions but recently have come across a few more. These are - - What does a cow have four of and a woman only two?
- What is it in the trousers that a man has but a woman does not have?
- What does a dog do that a man steps into?
- What starts with a C, ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious, and contains thin, whitish liquid?
- What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?
- What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?
- What word starts with an ‘F’ and ends in ‘K’ that means a lot of heat and excitement?
If anyone can add to this list please do. |
perineau Member Posts: 261 From: FRANCE Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 05-21-2020 04:24 AM
I've often read that all you had to do in order to join the club was to answer one simple question which was: "Are you a turtle?" The correct answer being: "You bet your sweet ass I am!" |
moorouge Member Posts: 2470 From: U.K. Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 05-21-2020 04:29 AM
The correct question was "Are you turtle today?"I'll be happy to mail the correct answers if you contact me, but the answer to the first question is legs and the answer to the last is a firetruck. |
Buel Member Posts: 672 From: UK Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 05-21-2020 04:30 AM
I love this and would love to know the answers!! |
oly Member Posts: 1033 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 05-21-2020 04:36 AM
Ahh, these old classics: - legs
- wrinkles
- pants
- coconut
- bubble gum
- shake hands
- fire truck
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moorouge Member Posts: 2470 From: U.K. Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 05-21-2020 04:54 AM
There is an alternative answer to question 2 - pockets.More seriously - the candidates for selection were given psychological tests one of which was to write 20 sentences each beginning with the words "I am .....". One has to remember that the answers were going to be closely examined by a panel of psychologists so it was not as easy as one might think. Scott Carpenter is reputed to have got to sentence 20 and after a lot of thought wrote, "I am an astronaut." |
capoetc Member Posts: 2194 From: McKinney TX (USA) Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 05-21-2020 07:14 AM
The Turtles were very popular among many groups in the 60’s and 70’s. Credit for starting the Turtles likely goes to US Army Air Corps officers in England during WWII.Incidentally, the Turtles still exist. You can answer the four questions and sign up, and you will receive your membership card in the mail. Just be aware that when you respond "YBYSAIA" in a public setting, no one will blink an eye like they would have in the 1960's. |
randy Member Posts: 2254 From: West Jordan, Utah USA Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 05-21-2020 04:13 PM
You can add another one to their membership. |
cfreeze79 Member Posts: 457 From: Herndon, VA, USA Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 05-21-2020 04:48 PM
If I recall correctly — and I wouldn't be the one to name names, but... I am told that a certain SoCal retailer still issues membership cards for the "Interstellar Association of Turtles (Real Space Cowboys Division)" and you may still be able to get one, hand-signed by the club's Imperial Potentate...But, ya know, these are just words in the wind... |
CMD_OVRD Member Posts: 27 From: USA Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 05-21-2020 11:06 PM
I've always enjoyed hearing the stories about the Turtle Club from those days. I was lucky enough to add a commemorative pen to my collection several years ago. The Fisher Pen Company produced a version of the original AG-7 (no side button) with a gold turtle on the clip. These were gifted to several astronauts and the one that I found belonged to Deke Slayton. I've only seen two others for sale over the years. One was offered by Walt Cunningham. I believe the other one belonged to Dave Scott and was auctioned off several years ago. I missed grabbing the Walt Cunningham pen. It would have made a nice pairing. If anyone happens to know its whereabouts, maybe we can talk.  |