There i got into flight training. I became a naval aviator, and low and behold in 1958 nasa was formed and they were looking for astronauts. So i was one of the original 110 people selected to go for interviews. Lets go back to your Naval Academy days, you almost didnt go, is that right . That is right. I had two years at wisconsin. I informs a Naval Aviation program after world war ii. Have been the most important project in this century. I became the first alternate that usually doesnt make it, are and i got orders for the physical to be inducted into the academy if you so desired. And then i said should i go to the academy, they said dont do that, you two years of college, you have Naval Aviation, if you go back you have to start all over again, you might not get back in aviation, but there was an old captain there and he said if you want to make the navy your career, get yourself to the academy, that is what hatppened. I term paper, my first term paper, i wrote on the development o
Explosion on board. The interview is from the Oral History Program at the Johnson Space center. This is the Johnson Space Center Original history project, may 25th, 1999, at the Johnson Space center. When you were a little kid, you saw a rocket go off and you said i want to do that . Is it that simple or that complex . You know, i was interested in rockets and astronomy long before the glenns and the shepherds of the world could spell rocket. I was interested in it way back in high school. I went to try and build some rockets. I wanted to be a rocket engineer, as a matter of fact. I wrote to the American Rocket Society at that time which is now the aaia or Something Like that, and i said i want to be a rocket engineer, and they wrote back and said you need to go to i. T. Or cal tech, and i couldnt afford either so i got an rotc appointment to wisconsin and then from there i went to the Navel Academy and then i got the flight training. I became a naval aviator, and low and behold in 195