The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Alan B. Shepard, Jr. - Aug. 9th, 2004

www.achievement.org ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

...................................................................................... ...........................................

.

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

.

.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer.

If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions.

We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.

To read previous Foxhole threads or
to add the Foxhole to your sidebar,
click on the books below.

.

.

.

Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr.
(1923-1998)

.

Alan B. Shepard, Jr. was born and raised in East Derry, New Hampshire. His father was a retired Army officer. Alan grew up on the family farm and attended East Derry's one-room schoolhouse. As a boy he did odd jobs at the local airfield to learn about airplanes.

Alan Shepard, age three, with his mother Renza and sister Pauline.
(Courtesy Rear Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr.)

An excellent student, Shepard won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. After graduation, Ensign Shepard served on the destroyer Cogswell during the closing months of World War II. At war's end, he married Louise Brewer, whom he had met while attending the Naval Academy.

Shepard was so eager to receive his wings and pilot's license that he studied at a civilian flying school in his spare time while attending naval flight training at Corpus Christi, Texas and Pensacola, Florida. After receiving his wings, he served with the 42nd Fighter Squadron for several tours of duty aboard aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean.


Midshipman Alan Shepard, Annapolis, 1943.
(Courtesy Rear Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr.)

In 1950, Shepard entered the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in Patuxent, Maryland. After qualifying as a test pilot, he tested high-altitude aircraft and in-flight fueling systems, and made some of the first landings on angled carrier decks. He served as operations officer of the 193rd Fighter Squadron on two tours of the Western Pacific, and as an instructor at the Navy Test Pilot School. After graduation from the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island in 1958, Alan Shepard became aircraft readiness officer on the staff of the Commander in Chief of the Atlantic fleet.

In 1959, the newly created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invited 110 top test pilots to volunteer for the manned space flight program. Of the original 110, Shepard was among the seven chosen for Project Mercury and presented to the public at a press conference on April 8, 1959. The other six were Malcolm (Scott) Carpenter, Leroy Cooper, John Glenn, Virgil (Gus) Grissom, Walter (Wally) Schirra and Donald (Deke) Slayton.


Alan Shepard, with his wife Louise, on their wedding day in 1945.
(Courtesy Rear Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr.)

These seven were subjected to an unprecedented and grueling training in the sciences and in physical endurance. Every conceivable situation the men would encounter in space travel was studied and, when possible, simulated with training devices.

Of the seven Mercury astronauts, Shepard was chosen for the first American manned mission into space. On April 15, 1961, only a few weeks before Shepard's flight, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to reach outer space. Gagarin's flight took him into orbit around the earth.


Flight school, 1946.
(Courtesy Rear Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr.)

Shepard's flight, on May 5, was still a history-making event. Whereas Gagarin had been only a passenger in his vehicle, Shepard was able to maneuver the Freedom 7 space capsule himself. While the Soviet mission was veiled in secrecy, Shepard's flight, return from space, splashdown at sea, and recovery by helicopter to a waiting aircraft carrier were seen on live television by millions around the world. On his return, Shepard was honored with parades in Washington, New York and Los Angeles.

In the subsequent Mercury missions of Virgil Grissom and John Glenn, the U.S. space program would quickly meet and then surpass the achievements of the Soviet one. Shepard himself moved on to the next stage of the space program: Project Gemini.


The original seven Mercury astronauts. Alan Shepard stands at top left.
(NASA)

Shepard was scheduled to command the first Gemini mission when he was diagnosed with an inner ear disturbance affecting his equilibrium. This disturbance kept him out of space for the next six years. He remained with NASA as chief of the astronaut office, but could only sit and watch as younger astronauts of Project Apollo prepared for travel to the moon. Tragedy struck the space program when a launch pad fire destroyed Apollo V, taking the lives of three astronauts, including Shepard's Project Mercury comrade, Gus Grissom.

By 1968, an operation had restored Shepard's equilibrium and he volunteered for a lunar mission, but Shepard remained earthbound, while Apollo XI and XII successfully landed men on the moon. Apollo XIII, which Shepard had hoped to lead himself, was forced to turn back in mid-course. In 1971, 47 year-old Alan Shepard, the oldest astronaut in the program, was finally tapped to lead the Apollo XIV mission to the moon.



Millions watched the live color broadcast of the mission, and few who saw it will ever forget the sight of Shepard and Edgar Mitchell bouncing around in the low-gravity environment, or of Shepard batting golf balls into the lunar distance before boarding the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) to return to the craft orbiting above. Once again, Shepard returned from space to a hero's welcome. He was promoted to Admiral before finally retiring from the Navy and from NASA.

[colorado tanker]

Shepard was credited with introducing into widespread use the phrase "A-OK," which was how a NASA spokesman described his reaction to the success of Freedom VII. It turns out he never said it.

LOL! The things you learn in the Foxhole . . .

From biplanes to a moon shot. Wow! Thanks for a nice tribute to a great pilot, and a class act.

[colorado tanker]

That was a great scene from Gettysburg, Sam. Buford made the victory possible by giving the Union the high ground that Chamberlain charged down and Pickett had to march up.

[Samwise]

Gasoline and a match will solve that quite nicely.

LOL. I'm tempted, believe me, I'm tempted.

[Professional Engineer]

From biplanes to a moon shot. Wow! Thanks for a nice tribute to a great pilot, and a class act.

Shepard and Deke Slayton co-wrote a book titled Moon Shot, about the race for the moon. It's a good read.

[colorado tanker]

I read Moon Shot and agree it's a good read. I also enjoyed the two books written by the former heads of Mission Control. In fact, I've stayed in Gene Kranz's condo, "High Flight," up at the YMCA of the Rockies.

I saw The Right Stuff again recently and found it a little dated, reflecting a lot of 1970's stereotypes.

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS Gilligan (DE-508)

John C. Butler class destroyer escort
Displacement. 1,350 t.
Lenght. 306'
Beam. 36'10"
Draft. 13'4"
Speed. 24.3 k.
Complement. 222
Armament. 2 5", 4 40 mm., 10 20 mm., 8 dcp., 2dct., 1 Hedgehog

USS Gilligan (DE-508) was launched 22 February 1944 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newark, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. John J. Gilligan, the namesake's mother; and commissioned 12 May 1944, Lt. Comdr. Carl E. Bull, USNR, commanding.

Following shakedown off Bermuda, Gilligan escorted a troopship from New York to Maine and sailed from Norfolk 5 August 1944 to escort an LSD to Pearl Harbor, arriving 30 August. Underway 29 September to escort merchantmen to Eniwetok, she put in at Majuro 13 October and from 16-27 October 1944 escorted merchantmen to Kwajalein, bombarded Mille atoll and Jaluit Island, and sank a 50-foot Japanese schooner, before returning to Majuro the latter date. Gilligan sailed 1 November to escort merchantmen to Eniwetok and Saipan, subsequently mooring at Ulithi 17 November. Three days later, on 20 November, fleet oiler Mississinewa - loaded with more than 400 000 gallons of aviation gasoline - was torpedoed inside Ulithi lagoon with a loss of 50 officers and men. Seconds later, Gilligan saw a miniature Japanese submarine pass close alongside; with other ships she depth-charged within the lagoon and possibly damaged one midget. Destroyer Case rammed and sank another outside the harbor, and Marine planes finished off a third the same day.

Gilligan sailed 4 December as a steamship escort to Manus and conducted patrols off Bougainville from that port until 31 December 1944 when she departed Manus to escort troopships bound for Lingayen Gulf, arriving in time for D-Day, 9 January 1945. Although in constant danger from enemy air attacks, the destroyer escort supported the assault, screened for Attack Group Able of VADM Wilkinson's Task Force 79, and made smoke. Gilligan came under kamikaze attack 12 January. A bluejacket under fire from the attacking plane leaped from his post onto the main battery director and threw it off target, a mistake which prevented the 5-inch guns from getting off more than 14 rounds. The kamikaze crashed directly into the muzzles of Gilligan's No. 2 40mm. gun, killing 12 men and wounding 12, and started raging fires. Outstanding damage control kept the ship seaworthy; she put in at Leyte 17 January for repairs, subsequently reaching Pearl Harbor 21 February for overhaul.

Gilligan sailed again 29 March 1945 as an antisubmarine convoy escort and closed the western beaches of Okinawa 17 April to commence antiaircraft and antisubmarine screening around the transport anchorage. The Japanese were at this time using every conceivable means - kamikazes, submarines, swimmers, and motor boats - to destroy the assembled ships. In spite of heavy air attacks she engaged in screening and escort duties for transports, splashed at least five attacking planes, and possibly damaged a submarine. On 27 May her luck almost ran out; a torpedo bomber hit her solidly with a torpedo, which fortunately was a dud. Gilligan returned to Ulithi 28 June and sailed again 6 July on merchantmen escort duty to Leyte and Hollandia and subsequently closed Manila where she was attached to the Philippine Sea Frontier. On 16 August she sailed to escort merchantmen to Okinawa, returning to Manila 27 August, and repeated this voyage 29 August-25 September 1945. Underway from Manila 5 November, Gilligan reached San Pedro, Calif., 26 November for overhaul. She was towed to San Diego 14 April 1946 and was placed out of commission in reserve at that port 2 July 1946.

Gilligan recommissioned in reserve 15 July 1950 at Seattle and conducted reserve cruises in Pacific Northwest waters, and voyages thence to the Fleet Sonar School at San Diego. Training cruises brought her twice to Hawaii, once to Acapulco, Mexico, and once to the Canal Zone before she decommissioned 31 March 1959 at Point Astoria, Oreg. Stricken 1 March 1972, Gilligan was sold for scrapping 20 November 1973.

Gilligan earned one battle star for World War II service.

---

John Joseph Gilligan, Jr., born 17 June 1923 at Newark, N.J., enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve 8 January 1942 and served at Parris Island, S.C., and Quantico, Va. Private Gilligan was mortally wounded in action while serving with the First Marine Raider Battalion at Tulagi, Solomon Islands, on 7 August 1942 and died the next day. For his heroism under fire, he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

[SAMWolf]

Hi Samwise. Welcome home.

[SAMWolf]

Afternoon GodBlessRonaldReagan. We're planning on covering a few of the astronauts here. Neil Armstrong is coming up.

[SAMWolf]

LOL! NASA had a very tiny budget and has to keep it's shuttles in service a looooong time. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Darn. No wonder I have trouble with my spelling, no monitor makes it hard to see what I typed. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Afternoon CT. Something new every day from our posters.

[SAMWolf]

LOL! Just do it outside. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Buford sure had an eye for the "good ground"

[SAMWolf]

Love the tagline. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Afternoon aomagrat

There was a USS GILLIGAN?? Who would have thunk!

[MinuteGal]

Thanks for posting this tribute, Sam. I read every single word of it. So nice to read about genuine heroes at this point in time.

God Bless America!

Leni

[SirAllen]

Gus Grissom, killed on Apollo 5...

Just for the record, it was Apollo 1.

[Professional Engineer]

LOL. I'm tempted, believe me, I'm tempted.

Samwise Frock Flamer

[Professional Engineer]

I saw The Right Stuff again recently and found it a little dated, reflecting a lot of 1970's stereotypes.

I've read both of Chuck Yeager's books. His recounting of the F-104 incident sure doesn't coincide with the Right Stuff depiction. He was very seriously burned by the ejection seat rocket motors.

[alfa6]

Howdy all, just got off work, yeah. Busy weekend got about 3/4ths of the roof finished, probably would have it all done but lost about 3hours Sunday due to a few brief showers Sunday AM.

Got to see most of Kelly's Hero's yesterday on TCM, funny how I never noticed that Tigers were not Tigers till someone mentioned it here on the Foxhole, the road wheels were the give away after I looked closer. Also the old M-3(?) halftracks that were made up to look like German halftracks, yep roadwheels again.

But the main reason for mentioning Kelly's Hero's was the French mayor right at the end of the movie, remember him, hmmm?

Who do you think he reminded me of? Any takers? Will post abck in an hour or so.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}