posted May 27, 2007 06:08 PM               

Your website looks interesting, thank you ! Unfortunately I can't open the PDF file with the obituary. And it's not my computer, my PDF software works fine...

posted May 28, 2007 03:34 AM               

I will forward the info to my webmaster of my association. We had in the past several problems with the PDF`s with the interviews. On some PC`s it worked fine and on some not!
I will post any update.

posted May 28, 2007 03:45 AM               

I already checked the PDF and it was no problem on my PC to open it. As I mentioned before, I will get the problem checked!

posted May 28, 2007 05:02 AM               

thanks for the info. As I said before, only some people have problems to open the PDF`s on the website.

posted May 28, 2007 05:02 AM               

thanks for the info. As I said before, only some people have problems to open the PDF`s on the website.

posted June 11, 2007 02:17 PM            

Resolved, That the House of Representatives-

(1) honors the life and accomplishments of Astronaut Walter Marty Schirra and expresses condolences on his passing; and

(2) recognizes the profound importance of Astronaut Schirra's record as a pioneer in space exploration and long-time contributor to NASA's mission as a catalyst to space exploration and scientific advancement in the United States.

posted June 12, 2007 08:45 AM               

RENDEZVOUS

Six months before I joined the Baha’i Faith, the then U.S. Navy test pilot, Walter M. Schirra, was named by NASA as one of the seven Mercury Astronauts. It was April 1959. Three and a half years later, On October 3 1962, a month after my pioneering life began in the Canadian Baha’i community, Schirra piloted the six orbit Sigma 7 Mercury flight, a flight which lasted 9 hours, 15 minutes. The spacecraft attained a velocity of 17,557 miles per hour at an altitude of 175 statute miles and travelled almost 144,000 statute miles before re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Recovery of the Sigma 7 spacecraft occurred in the Pacific Ocean about 275 miles northeast of Midway Island.

Schirra died yesterday. I received the news while watching television here in Australia at the mid-point in my day of writing and reading. I usually take a break for lunch in the early afternoon about 1 or 2 p.m., watch/listen to some news and get back to the work. As I listened to the report I felt a kinship with Schirra even though he was twenty-two years my senior, had at least three honorary doctorates, a number of major awards, had been inducted into several halls of fame and had business and civic experience that was, to say the least, impressive. I was not in his league. But, still, I felt this kinship with the man and when I heard he had died, it was a cause for reflection. No tears were shed. I had no desire to meet him, talk to him on the phone, write the biography of his life, meet any of his family or indeed excavate in the inner motivations and or the outward experience of this pioneering astronaut.-Ron Price, Pioneering Over Four Epochs, 4 May 2007.

You were from Hackensack¹
and I was from Hamilton, but
what a high-flier you were, Walter!
One of aviation’s Hall of Famers
in your Sigma 7 back in ’62, in ’65
in that Gemini 6 or that first manned
test of an Apollo spacecraft in ’68
for the moon landing-reaching for
the skies! And they say you were
quite the entertainer.²

And me, Wally, just one of those
ordinarily ordinary boys from one
of a 1000 towns across this land.
The first to rendezvous in space,
you were--and it was not over,
you said, until you had stopped,
with no relative motion between
the two vehicles.³ I always wondered
what a rendezvous of my soul with its
Source of light was exactly, Wally,
well, you’ve given me a hint...

1 Shirra was born in this New Jersey town on 12 March 1923.
2 “Levity is appropriate in a dangerous trade,” Shirra said to Life magazine
3 Wikipedia, “Walter M. Shirra,” 4 May 2007

Ron Price 5 May 2007 (completed: 9 June 2007)

posted January 10, 2008 12:38 PM               

The San Diego Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation is working to establish a $150,000 endowment to award annually a $7,500 Wally Schirra Memorial Endowment Scholarship to an American graduate science scholar.

To this end, they have entered a PARADE Magazine competition for a $50,000 prize if they are able to secure the most donations -- not the most money, but the most individual contributors. If successful, these funds would go into the ARCS National Endowment Fund. A minimum donation of $10 is all that is needed. The contest ends on January 31.

posted January 30, 2008 11:29 AM               

As I said before, it's the NUMBER of the donation, not the amount. So hit the donation button in the message two before this one and kick in $10 [several times] for the cause.

One of the founders was interviewed this morning on Mark Larson's radio show. Great interview. Hopefully, people will queue up.

Remember, their total goal is to raise $150K for the endowment to give out as 20, $7500 scholarships in Wally's name. No begging and pleading once they hit the top number.

posted January 30, 2008 07:57 PM               

It's nice to see the numbers build for such a worthy cause.

posted February 14, 2008 10:08 PM               

quote:

---

The ashes of retired Navy Capt. and astronaut Walter M. "Wally" Schirra, along with eight other Navy veterans, were committed to the sea Feb. 11 during a special burial at sea ceremony on board USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

Schirra, a former Navy test pilot who was one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, died at the age of 84 on May 3, 2007. He holds the distinction of being the only astronaut to fly in each of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

Schirra, who also had special ties to Ronald Reagan shipmates, visited the aircraft carrier and signed autographs for the crew in 2005.

In 1962, Schirra became the fifth American in space and the third American to orbit the Earth, circling the globe six times in a flight that lasted more than nine hours.

Schirra once wrote, "We shared a common dream to test the limits of man's imagination and daring. Those early pioneering flights of Mercury, the performances of Gemini and the trips to the moon established us once and for all as what I like to call a spacefaring nation. Like England, Spain and Portugal crossing the seas in search of their nations' greatness, so we reached for the skies and ennobled our nation."

Ronald Reagan's command religious ministries department, along with help from the ship's honor guard, organized the morning ceremony.

"I'm in awe of these people in their commitment to their country, their service, and especially their families," said Cmdr. Lee Axtell, Ronald Reagan's command chaplain. "It's Navy tradition to stop for the day and pay tribute."

Ronald Reagan shipmates eagerly took time out of routine carrier operations to put on their service dress blue uniforms to take part in the ceremony.

Fire Controlman 2nd Class Christopher Gronde, a Ronald Reagan Sailor who was previously assigned to the presidential honor guard, said that despite all of the funerals he's take part in, each one still affects him deeply.

"I get this proud feeling about being up there," said Gronde. "I take a lot of pride in Navy tradition."

In addition to Schirra, some Ronald Reagan Sailors had other ties to the military veterans.

Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Scott Toupin, from Ronald Reagan's air department, committed the ashes of his uncle, Senior Chief Quartermaster William Dawson, to the sea during the ceremony.

Toupin said he was honored to give his uncle his final resting place and found himself moved by the ceremony and holding back tears.

"He never spoke to me about his time in the Navy," said Toupin recalling that his uncle was a quiet and reserved man. "He had served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, but I didn't know he was in [the Navy] until three months before his death."

With the firing of three symbolic volleys for each of the nine Navy veterans, Ronald Reagan Sailors bid a final farewell to these former shipmates.

Ronald Reagan was commissioned in July 2003, making it the ninth and newest Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The ship is named for the 40th U.S. president; its motto, "Peace through Strength," was a recurring theme during the Reagan presidency.

---

posted February 15, 2008 09:53 AM               

To you Captain Schirra, sir.

Eternal Father, Strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee,
for those in peril on the sea.

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
and calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee,
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.