Wally Schirra

Wally Schirra
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Name	Wally Schirra
Caption	Schirra in his official NASA portrait
Type	NASA astronaut
Nationality	American
Status	Deceased
Birth name	Walter Marty Schirra Jr.
Birth date	12 March 1923
Birth place	Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S.
Death date	3 May 2007
Death place	La Jolla, California, U.S.
Alma mater	United States Naval Academy (B.S.)
Occupation	Naval aviator, test pilot
Rank	Captain, United States Navy
Selection	Group 1 (1959)
Time	12d 7h 12m
Mission	Mercury-Atlas 8, Gemini 6A, Apollo 7
Insignia	40px 40px 40px
Awards	NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross (3)

Wally Schirra was an American naval aviator, test pilot, and one of the original seven astronauts selected for Project Mercury. He became the only person to fly in all three of NASA's pioneering manned spaceflight programs: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. His cool professionalism and technical skill were instrumental in the success of critical missions, cementing his legacy as a cornerstone of the early United States space program.

Early life and education

Walter Marty Schirra Jr. was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, to parents with strong aviation backgrounds; his father was a World War I pilot and his mother performed in aerial shows. He attended Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, New Jersey, before receiving an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Schirra graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1945, commissioning as an ensign in the United States Navy during the final months of World War II.

Military career

Following graduation, Schirra served aboard the USS Alaska (CB-1) in the Pacific Theater of Operations. After the war, he completed flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1948. He flew F8F Bearcat fighters with VF-71 and later served as a flight instructor. During the Korean War, Schirra flew 90 combat missions in the F-84 Thunderjet with the 154th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. He subsequently attended the United States Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, working as a test pilot on projects including the F7U Cutlass and FJ-3 Fury.

NASA career

In April 1959, Schirra was selected as one of the "Mercury Seven" astronauts. He served as backup pilot for the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission and was a key communicator, or CAPCOM, during several early flights. His technical expertise and operational mindset made him a vital member of the astronaut corps during the formative years of NASA, contributing to spacecraft design and mission procedures for both the Gemini program and Apollo program.

Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions

Schirra first flew into space as the pilot of Mercury-Atlas 8 in October 1962, named Sigma 7. The mission was a textbook engineering flight, focusing on spacecraft systems and precise maneuvering. In December 1965, he commanded Gemini 6A, executing the first-ever manned space rendezvous with Gemini 7, piloted by Frank Borman and Jim Lovell. His final and most demanding flight was as commander of Apollo 7 in October 1968, the first crewed mission of the Apollo program. Despite battling a severe head cold, Schirra and his crew, Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham, successfully tested the Apollo Command/Service Module in Earth orbit, a critical step enabling the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission just two months later.

Post-NASA career and legacy

Schirra retired from both NASA and the United States Navy with the rank of captain in 1969. He entered the private sector, serving as president of the financial services firm Financial Federation, Inc. and later as a consultant for CBS News during coverage of subsequent Apollo missions. He co-founded the International Space Hall of Fame and was a recipient of numerous honors, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. Schirra is uniquely remembered as the only astronaut to fly on Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, a testament to his versatility and trusted role in the nation's quest for the Moon.

Personal life and death

Schirra married Josephine "Jo" Fraser in 1946, and they had two children. In his later years, he lived in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and was an avid sailor. He was diagnosed with abdominal cancer and died of a heart attack on May 3, 2007, at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, California. His ashes were buried at sea by the United States Navy. Schirra was honored with a memorial plaque at the Astronaut Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2008.

Category:American astronauts Category:United States Naval Academy alumni Category:Apollo program astronauts Category:Mercury Seven Category:1923 births Category:2007 deaths