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CAPTAIN WALTER M. SCHIRRA, USN (RET) One of the original seven Mercury Astronauts, Captain Schirra is a highly respected naval aviator and one of America's most accomplished and respected Astronauts. Captain Schirra graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1945 and saw service in the Pacific during the closing months of the Second World War aboard the battlecruiser the USS Alaska. Following the War, the Captain was stationed in Qingdao, China as a staff officer in the Headquarters of the US Seventh Fleet. On completion of his China Tour, Schirra entered naval flight training and began a long and distinguished career in Naval Aviation that coincided with the introduction of jet powered aircraft into naval service and ended with manned flight to the moon. Trained as a naval fighter pilot, initially flying the Grumman F-8-F Bearcat and then the Grumman F-9-F Panther jet fighter. During the Korean War, the Captain flew an exchange tour with an American Air Force fighter squadron, flying the Republic F-84E Thunderjet. While in Korea, Schirra would be officially credited with the destruction of one and the damaging of two MiG-15 jet fighters in aerial combat. Following Korea, the Captain was assigned to the development and deployment of the Navy's new Chance Vougth F-7U Cutlass fighter. Schirra also participated in the deployment of the McDonnell F-3H Demon. He then attended the Navy's test Pilot's school. As a naval test pilot, the Captain would play a major role in the development and deployment of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II . Due to his experience as both an operational and military test pilot, Captain Schirra was chosen from many thousands of applicants to become one of America's first seven astronauts when he was selected to NASA's Mercury space program. Following Project Mercury, Schirra was selected to fly in both the Gemini and Apollo space programs, he was the only astronaut to fly on all three of America's first space programs, programs that concluded with American astronauts reaching the moon. |
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