posted 06-23-2005 09:48 PM               

The first was John Glenn saying his nickname was "Old Magnet Tail". But in his memoirs he says it was "Magnet Ass".

The second was Scott Carpenter's captain as he was leaving the ship for NASA duty. In We Seven the captain said "nuts" when Cdr. Carpenter said he was going to orbit three times but in For Spacious Skies the captain said "bulls**t".

posted 06-24-2005 10:09 AM               

Thanks for the huge LOL with my morning coffee.

Those editors! Jeez: seemliness police.

What did you think of We Seven?

posted 06-24-2005 01:17 PM               

I was awed by the concepts involved (You-Know-Who) and the prospect of reading faster while I was higher - I mean, reading higher and faster (Cooper).

Actually, it was pretty much pablum obviously written by clerks in the NASA publicity stable and foisted onto the public. Nothing interesting here.

Gotcha! (Schirra)

What was the REAL quote from the captain of the aircraft carrier? And, since he was facing a big inspection without his intelligence officer (at the last moment) with his intelligence office itself in the process of being moved and thus in a mess how did he do? Did the ship pass muster?

posted 06-25-2005 11:52 AM               

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What was the REAL quote from the captain of the aircraft carrier? And, since he was facing a big inspection without his intelligence officer (at the last moment) with his intelligence office itself in the process of being moved and thus in a mess how did he do? Did the ship pass muster?[/bold]

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The expletive Capt. Marshall White deployed, as Carpenter left the Hornet, was "bullsh*t," according to Carpenter, the only earwitness AFAIK. Of course, LIFE editor John Dille cleaned up all the the military, er, vernacular in all the WE SEVEN chapters for American readers ca. 1962.

I spoke with White's widow, Eleanor, when researching the book (she was also present at the signing at the San Diego Fleet Center when Carpenter was there on book tour).

She attested to her husband's intense, uh, consternation (more Navy vernacular here) at Carpenter's top-secret comings and goings in 1959. She also confirmed Rene Carpenter's story, about her reconnaissance in ugly, industrial Long Beach, where the Hornet was to have been berthed, looking around, and returning to her car for a little drive down to the more scenic Coronado. The Hornet, Mrs. Marshall White determined, would be stationed in San Diego.

And so it was.

But the Hornetpassed its sea trials with another air intelligence officer in place (don't know who replaced Carpenter) and Marsh White eventually made admiral, during the Vietnam war, IIRC.