[So Cal Rocket]

4 of the Mercury 7 have now slipped the surly bonds of Earth and touched the face of God.

Gus Grissom -- 1926 - 1967
Deke Slatyon -- 1924 - 1993
Alan Shepard -- 1923 - 1998
Gordon Cooper -- 1927 - 2004

[BamaDi]

Good-bye Gordo from one of those who grew up in the 50's,60s...I remember sitting in my 3rd grade class and watching John Glenn on an old black and white TV - have we come a long way! Godspeed to an American Hero and now you can again reach out and touch the face of God.

[Steve_Seattle]

Gordon Cooper, age 77

Makes me feel old. It's hard to realize that more than 40 years have passed since their [Mercury astronauts] heyday.