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  Bill Dana, 'astronaut José Jiménez' (1924-2017) (Page 1)

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Author Topic:   Bill Dana, 'astronaut José Jiménez' (1924-2017)
Robert Pearlman
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posted 06-19-2017 09:40 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
Bill Dana, comedian who played astronaut José Jiménez, dies at 92

"Okay, José, you're on your way!"

With those words, radioed to Alan Shepard as he lifted off to become the first American astronaut to fly into space on May 5, 1961, Bill Dana's role in NASA history was sealed.

Dana, a comedian whose performance as "José Jiménez" was bestowed the title of being the eighth of the Mercury 7 astronauts, died on Thursday (June 15). He was 92.

Rick Mulheirn
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Glint
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413 is in
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randy
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MarylandSpace
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posted 06-19-2017 10:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for MarylandSpace   Click Here to Email MarylandSpace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
About ten years ago, maybe earlier, I was at the VIP reception for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundationo scholars and astronauts for a meet and greet at the Astronaut Hall of Fame induction. Bill Dana was there, too. I was among several people listening to him.

Bill was telling a story of driving a convertible (possibly in Southern California) and someone tried to identify him as Jose Feliciano... Bill replied, "I hope Jose Feliciano would not be driving a car. I'm Jose Jimenez."

jasonelam
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posted 06-19-2017 11:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for jasonelam   Click Here to Email jasonelam     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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space1
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posted 06-19-2017 11:13 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for space1   Click Here to Email space1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ed Sullivan: "Is that a crash helmet?"
Jose: "Oh, I hope not!"

Thank you Bill for many delightful memories.

Rest in peace.

history in miniature
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fredtrav
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carl walker
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gareth89
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Blackarrow
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astrobar1
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rgarner
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onesmallstep
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posted 06-19-2017 12:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Scott Carpenter, during his Aurora 7 Mercury flight, uttered the classic Jose response "Oh, I hope not!" while handling a host of problems that cropped up aboard the spacecraft.

Panther494
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moorouge
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Was it Wally Schirra who maintained that a little levity in a dangerous situation was a good thing? Bill Dana helped to provide that much needed humour.

All of us who grew up in those early days of man's conquest of space will miss his dry wit and be thankful that he introduced us to Jose Jiminez.

Rest in peace Bill, and keep the angels laughing.

micropooz
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posted 06-19-2017 01:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for micropooz   Click Here to Email micropooz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
At the end of the day at an autograph show in New Jersey in 2005 or 2006, a group of us went to the hotel bar. In walked Wally Schirra and sat down with us. Then Bill Dana walked in and sat with us as well! Those two had us all in stitches for the rest of the evening. I wish I could remember even one of the jokes, but I was just laughing... too... hard.

RIP Bill Dana.

GACspaceguy
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Kite
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Wehaveliftoff
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posted 06-19-2017 02:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Wehaveliftoff     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Quite simply, one of my favorite people!

"The Astronaut by Jose Jimenez" 1961: (8:18)

cspg
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posted 06-19-2017 02:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Watched several videos on YouTube. Lots of fun!

Joel Katzowitz
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posted 06-19-2017 03:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Joel Katzowitz   Click Here to Email Joel Katzowitz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have a flown dollar bill that accompanied Wally Schirra on his MA-8 flight. After his return he gifted the bill to Bill Dana in a framed presentation that stated the bill had flown aboard Sigma 7 on October 5, 1962.

In reality the MA-8 mission launched and landed on October 3. When I questioned Dana about the discrepancy he laughed and told me Wally had given him the flown dollar on his birthday which happened to be October 5, just two days after the flight. So for a laugh Schirra used Dana's birthday instead of the launch date on the presentation.

It was a great story from a delightful man.

bruce
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Grounded!
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SkyMan1958
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Delta7
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Henk Boshuijer
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AlanC
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AlanC
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Dennis Beatty
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posted 06-19-2017 05:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Dennis Beatty   Click Here to Email Dennis Beatty     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was attending one of the astronaut conventions (the Sims and Hankow Burbank show I believe) and I had gone down to the front desk to get directions to the Jet Propulsion Lab. In front of me was a weary traveler who couldn't seem to catch a break. Apparently his airline connections were a nightmare, the rental car wasn't ready when he finally did arrive and the last straw was the front desk clerk told him that he'd have to carry his own bags because the bellhop was on break.

I thought that I recognized him as Bill Dana, so I offered to get his bags from his car and help him and his wife to their room. The guy doesn't know me, but throws me the car and room keys and asks me to park the car, explain to his wife what is going on and get the bags. By this time another collector (Dave Sixsmith) has heard our conversation and volunteers to help as well. So we go out, park the car, send Mrs. Dana (who is wondering why two strangers have the keys to her car while her husband is nowhere in sight) up to the room to get it opened up.

As we walked into the hotel with all of the luggage, Bill met us and then we all rode up in the elevator... with Bill telling jokes the whole time. Apparently we were quite loud because Mrs. Dana said that she could hear us all the way down the hall.

Bill was very gracious and signed quite a number of photos and cards for me that weekend... including an image from his TV show where he was a bellman. He wrote "To Dennis – my favorite bellman — Thanks for schlepping my bags."

Ken Havekotte
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posted 06-19-2017 05:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wasn't it Shepard, though, that had first introduced Bill Dana to the Mercury astronaut team?

A talented comedian that had become a close and dear friend to many of the early astronauts, he was a space personality "entertainer" icon when Americans were first going into space.

David Carey
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alanh_7
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Robert Pearlman
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posted 06-19-2017 06:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:
Wasn't it Shepard, though, that had first introduced Bill Dana to the Mercury astronaut team?
According to Shepard biographer Neal Thompson, who interviewed Dana, Shepard, Schirra and Slayton all met Dana together one night at the King's Inn in Cocoa Beach, where Dana was performing. All three astronauts took turns playing straight man to Dana's Jiménez.

bthumble
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OV-105
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drifting to the right
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Ronpur
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