HOUSTON PING
I remember very well when he and Robert Crippen piloted the first Space Shuttle. I decided on that day that there were no braver men alive!
Charles M. Duke, Jr. was the "other" astronaut. With so many "other" astronauts to walk on the moon, I can see where the "other" astronauts names can't be remembered.
I'm envious, have I committed a sin?
Plus the MF actually got to bounce around on the Moon!
Here's some quotes I found:
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When asked what he considers to be his greatest achievement....
"I have no idea...but my smartest achievement was when Susy and I got married."
- John Young, 7-4-00
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"I think my favorite photo in my home is the picture of my two little grandchildren."
- John Young, 3-7-00
bump
BTTT
My heroes have always been astronauts.
Maybe he realized that NASA no longer has anykind of real future.
God Bless ya and thank you, John Young
Having been a NASA-brat, and finally getting a chance to actually work there has been a real motivation in my life...
My Dad had worked there from the get go, and later moved into a position to do some of the most interesting work there right along side most of the folks who were the "pointy end of the sword" so to speak...
A testament to my Dads program sits up on stilts at the entrance to Ellington Field these days...John Young and others had had a lot of time with that program as well...
I have had the honor of meeting and working with John Young on many occasions on site at JSC...And sure, this guy has done a ton of stuff for that agency and this country, but you'd never hear him just brag about those things...
He's a real family guy and is proud of them as well...
One time he turned to me during a break in a meeting once, and asked me how my Dad was enjoying his retirement...I told him he seems to be enjoying it...He kinda look puzzled, and said, it must be tough somedays, but I bet a bad round of golf cures that??? We chuckled about that truth...
He also said he had more fun flying with my Dad than a lot of folks he himself had in the past...
Though my Dads involvement at NASA, I've met a ton of astronauts...All of them are top notch people, some are truly remarkable experts in a variety of disciplines...Some are a bit quirky, but thats what makes them special...
And the people behind the scenes that support them...Well lets just say that they (astronaut corp) know who really gets a lot of it done...
I wish him well obviously...I figure he's going to hit the speaking tour for a short while, which I would recommend anyone who is interested in the inside story to go see...Who knows whats next, but I am sure he'll have a plan, and execute it flawlessly...