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Author
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Topic: Guenter Wendt, Pad Leader (1923-2010)
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Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 05-03-2010 08:45 AM
   
One of those things that grabs and shakes you when you see it in the morning. Rats! A true space legend is gone. Rest in peace Guenter. |
Andy McCulley
Member Posts: 245
From: Lansdale, PA
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 05-03-2010 08:51 AM
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2003hdannv
Member Posts: 231
From: Cape Coral, Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2004
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posted 05-03-2010 08:56 AM
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bruce
Member Posts: 916
From: Fort Mill, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 05-03-2010 09:15 AM
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AstroAutos
Member Posts: 803
From: Co. Monaghan, Republic of Ireland
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 05-03-2010 09:18 AM
Very sad news indeed - we have lost another true hero.Rest in Peace, Guenter. |
kyra
Member Posts: 583
From: Louisville CO US
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 05-03-2010 09:18 AM
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mark plas
Member Posts: 385
From: the Netherlands
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 05-03-2010 09:25 AM
Makes you scared to open cS. Our heroes are getting older and leaving us.RIP |
asdert
Member Posts: 54
From: Germany
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 05-03-2010 09:28 AM
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1202 Alarm
Member Posts: 436
From: Switzerland & France
Registered: Nov 2003
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posted 05-03-2010 09:28 AM
Like 'tncmaxq' and many other CS members, I had the chance to meet him first during the 2003 Washington DC astronaut autograph show. We were all captivated by his charm, wit and fantastic stories. At the Hilton bar that evening, for one hour, he was like an entertainer doing a unbelievable one-man show.
Later, through letters and a visit to his home, I was honored to know him a bit better. The souvenir he will leave in my heart is 10 times worth all the flown memorabilia I'll ever get. |
capoetc
Member Posts: 2169
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 05-03-2010 09:40 AM
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Dodge15
Member Posts: 30
From: Kenner, La. USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 05-03-2010 09:42 AM
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ringo67
Member Posts: 179
From: Seekonk, Mass., USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 05-03-2010 09:44 AM
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sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 05-03-2010 09:47 AM
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SPACEFACTS
Member Posts: 301
From: Germany
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted 05-03-2010 09:54 AM
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Cliff Lentz
Member Posts: 655
From: Philadelphia, PA USA
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 05-03-2010 09:57 AM
Sad to hear the news. It makes all my encounters and the many autographs I collected from him much more valued to me. The last time I had the pleasure of talking to him was at the cape during the 2007 autograph show. We were all asked to wear Hawaiian shirts in honor of Wally Schirra. He couldn't stop talking about Wally and those early years. |
Dodge15
Member Posts: 30
From: Kenner, La. USA
Registered: May 2001
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posted 05-03-2010 10:00 AM
I first met Guenter at a show in Houston. Later that evening I took my sons down to the pool for a swim. When we were leaving, we ran into Gunter printing his boarding pass. We only intended speaking with him for a few minutes. He spoke to us for over an hour about his experiences. There stood my sons, in wet swinsuits, captivated by by this gentleman! They never complained once. Every time we went to another show, they would seek out Guenter. We have lost a true friend and hero. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 691
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 05-03-2010 10:13 AM
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DCCollector
Member Posts: 227
From: Washington, DC USA
Registered: Dec 2006
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posted 05-03-2010 10:18 AM
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TrueNorth
Member Posts: 161
From: Bathurst, NB, Canada
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 05-03-2010 10:21 AM
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Daniel Lazecky
Member Posts: 480
From: Czech Republic-Europe
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 05-03-2010 10:30 AM
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Jeff
Member Posts: 474
From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009
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posted 05-03-2010 10:37 AM
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liebeek
Member Posts: 247
From: the netherlands
Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 05-03-2010 10:53 AM
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ea757grrl
Member Posts: 729
From: South Carolina
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 05-03-2010 10:58 AM
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Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 05-03-2010 11:05 AM
I am in a bit of shock right now. Last month when I was down for STS-131, I got an invite from a friend of mine to have Easter dinner with one of his high school class mates. Turned out it was one of Guenter's daughters (she approved my friend's request to bring me along) and Guenter was there, as feisty as ever. While his body was more frail, his mind was sharp as ever and his opinions on all things space related were just as blunt as ever. I met Guenter once before in 2004 as I came down to attend a model show in Titusville at the Elks Lodge there. After coming back from lunch, Guenter was there chatting it up with one of the vendors who did WW2 paintings. They were talking about perhaps doing a painting of Guenter in his Me110 night fighter in WW2. I don't know if it was ever painted though. I saw him and raced back to the hotel to get my copy of "The Unbroken Chain". I had read it already, and it was an autographed copy and I don't entirely know what made me pack it in my luggage. But I did. Guess something in the back of my head told me to bring it. So I waited patiently, along with another friend of mine (who built a very nice Saturn V in 1/144). We got our chance to say hello and Guenter was obliging. He shared a couple stories that were in the book, and one that was not. He also came over to the table where our models were displayed (my friend's Saturn and my Columbia STS-107 stack) and marveled at the work done. At my encouragement, my friend got the display base for his Saturn signed by Guenter. As for me, I just had him personalize my book. So he did, signing it "Always Obey the Pad Leader!" I have a picture of the two of us standing together with the book. Since that day, whenever I would meet Guenter (which turned out to be only once) I would say "Private fifth class I presume?" and he would chuckle. Guenter, thanks for the words of wisdom, the memories, and doing all you could to keep the flight crews safe before launch. It was an honor to meet you and with your inspiration, I am now doing things I never thought I would ever get to do. Private Fifth Class has returned to the parade ground. |
paul prendergast
Member Posts: 429
From: crawley west sussex UK
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 05-03-2010 11:08 AM
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GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2476
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 05-03-2010 11:09 AM
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clifford
Member Posts: 233
From: Maplewood, nj, 07040
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 05-03-2010 11:12 AM
Say Hi to Wally when you see him for us. |
413 is in
Member Posts: 628
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006
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posted 05-03-2010 11:13 AM
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kr4mula
Member Posts: 642
From: Cinci, OH
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 05-03-2010 11:27 AM
Godspeed. |
rwhite502
Member Posts: 29
From: Reading, PA
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 05-03-2010 11:30 AM
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Dave Clow
Member Posts: 236
From: South Pasadena, CA 91030
Registered: Nov 2003
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posted 05-03-2010 11:31 AM
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Mr Meek
Member Posts: 353
From: Chattanooga, TN
Registered: Dec 2007
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posted 05-03-2010 11:32 AM
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Steve Procter
Member Posts: 1031
From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000
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posted 05-03-2010 11:39 AM
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xlsteve
Member Posts: 391
From: Holbrook MA, USA
Registered: Jul 2008
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posted 05-03-2010 11:40 AM
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tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 05-03-2010 11:44 AM
Another space pioneer hero is gone. Seems that we are losing a lot of these guys in the past months. |
contra
Member Posts: 318
From: Kiel, Germany
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 05-03-2010 11:55 AM
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KSCartist
Member Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 05-03-2010 11:55 AM
One of the nicest things about moving to Titusville was to be able to meet people you admired anywhere. I met Guenter at the SWOF dedication for Project Mercury and saw him many times over the years a various AHOF fund raising events. One the warmest most generous people you could ever meet.My condolenses go out to his family and friends. I can just picture Wally waiting to give him a heavenly "Gotcha." If you met him, you "know where Guenter Wendt." Godspeed Guenter now you can see the beauty of where all those guys you launched got to see. |
cjh5801
Member Posts: 185
From: Lacey
Registered: Jun 2009
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posted 05-03-2010 12:11 PM
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Spacefest
Member Posts: 1168
From: Tucson, AZ
Registered: Jan 2009
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posted 05-03-2010 12:19 PM
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OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 05-03-2010 12:24 PM
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