posted 05-04-2007 12:28 PM               

I lost another hero today,
and I have so few left.
For they don't make heroes
like they used to; from blood and nerve and sweat.

They're from a time when "Bigger Than Life" meant just that.
Heroes born from hard work and guts, not on a movie set.
Men with common names like Gordon, and Wally and John.
But their achievements were super-human and their legend lives on and on.

I lost another hero today,
And now there are so few,
Where once there were seven,
There now stand only two.

So again I say "Godspeed" as another hero soars to heaven.
For this country would not be America without
Our Original seven

posted 05-04-2007 01:56 PM               

That was Schirra's gift. And if flipping off his boss was necessary to get his work done, well, he was happy to do that too. Kraft, 83, wound up respecting Schirra for that act of defiance. Schirra was happy to get that nod.

posted 05-04-2007 02:20 PM               

A true original

posted 05-04-2007 04:11 PM               

When you get to Heaven remember to ask the Big Guy: "Are You A Turtle?" I know what his answer will be. From us here in Ohio, You Bet Your Sweet Ass We Are.

posted 05-04-2007 05:21 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Tracy:
Wally and I had started working on a new video a few weeks ago. A prototype had been developed, which Wally loved... I've posted the prototype on Wally's home page.

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posted 05-04-2007 07:10 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by SCE to AUX:
Someone had the idea of wearing a Hawaiian shirt as a tribute to Wally at the UACC in June. Sounds like a fine idea to me, anyone agree?

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Sounds like a great idea. An Hawaiian shirt with a yellow ribbon loop pinned to the front as a remembrance.

posted 05-04-2007 08:52 PM               

Mark Larson, who runs ML Speakers Bureau and is a radio personality on KOGO in San Diego, sent me an e-mail today asking that I replace the speaker booking information on his "appearances" page with a letter from him. He also included two audio clips from his May 3rd radio program, which are also linked on the page.

posted 05-04-2007 09:02 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by divemaster:
Hawaiian shirts are standard issue Sims/Hankow Autograph Show attire. Of course I'll be wearing my finest selection.I might have to find a pair of Captain's Wings to pin on, though.

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posted 05-05-2007 04:19 PM               

But i have read his autobiography and can only say that i would of loved to have met him and i shared my own "gotchas" with him that i have made on my own good friends.

posted 05-05-2007 07:37 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Danno:
I for one am not sad at all. Wally lived a VERY full, satisfying, and long life and made his mark on history. He had a great sense of humor and was an all around good guy. That is how I will quite fondly remember him.

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It was by split second instinct I chose to have dinner with him at the UACC 2005 when the phone call came. It was wonderful ! He had a Colorado connection as well and jokingly kept calling my town of Louisville, Leadville instead (only a local would get the joke). What a nice fellow he was ! He was very blessed man who shared his blessings wherever he went.

posted 05-06-2007 11:06 AM               

Larry says, "So it was his last Schirra."

posted 05-06-2007 04:53 PM               

I grew up in Southern California and then lived awhile in Portland, OR. There weren't that many, if any, public astronaut events in those areas as are in Texas & Florida. Well, anyway, over the years I'd seen a few astronauts who'd come to speak at museums, colleges, churches, art shows but they'd been Gemini, Apollo & shuttle astronauts - not that I'm discounting Gemini, Apollo & shuttle astronauts.

In either the late 80s or early 90s there was a space memorabilia auction in Beverly Hills, CA which advertised that astronauts Wally Schirra, Pete Conrad and Walt Cunningham would attend. So I drove the 40 or so miles to attend and see them. Turns out that only Conrad and Cunningham were there. The auction officials announced that Wally Schirra could not attend due to his mother-in-law's death. I was disappointed as I'd really wanted to see him. Anyway, getting to say 'hello' to and shake hands with the 3rd man on the moon helped soothe that disappointment.

posted 05-07-2007 05:52 AM               

Thanks to the Sims-Hankow shows I was able to meet Wally and experience his charm and the exuberance that he brings to a group. I always knew where he was by the direction of the loudest laughter in the room. His skits with Dana were hilarious, his dinner table... the rowdiest in the room.

My strongest memories of him are now locked with the items I had him sign. Once I would have considered trading one of these items for something better... now I won't let any of them go... ever.

In my collection there is a photo that he signed of the three different spacecraft that he flew. He labeled the Gemini craft as his "favorite". After telling me about how the Apollo CM was in comparison a tractor trailer he wrote "Truckstop" next to it, he then yelled over to Walt Cunningham while waving my photo telling him about the inscription, which they both got a big laugh over.

Wally signed one of those sweet vintage Grumman prints of the Mercury capsule for me too... he inscribed it with "you don't get in a this, you put it on". He took the time to explain to me how tight this craft really was. Those Mercury astronauts were brave men.

I showed him Deke Slayton's swimming certification card. When he took it he held it with the greatest care, it looked like he was going to tear up as he read Deke's name. Those seven men were brothers. He went on to tell me about Deke's swimming ability... "no one could swim on the bottom of the pool better than Deke!"

I own one of those large Turtle flags that was flown on Apollo 7. I had Wally sign it... "This Turtle Flag was carried by me on the flight of Apollo 7, Wally Schirra, High Potentate, Interstellar Association of Turtles, Outershell Division." I swear, the man laughed the whole time he was signing it.

I also had a little turtle pin with me that Wally had carried with him on Apollo 7. He borrowed it for a minute to show it to some of those around him. Afterwards he handed it back to me, thanked me, and as I was walking away I heard him yell to me "Are you a Turtle?" I turned around and quickly gave the proper response... and the smile I received is the way I'll always remember Wally.

I had a couple items set aside for Wally to sign at the next show. One of them was an artist concept patch painting for Apollo 7, a CM shape with a Phoenix rising. Wally really wanted to name the A7 CM "the Phoenix". I was really looking forward to his reaction. But now, Wally is gone.