[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H6021-H6023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING ASTRONAUT WALTER MARTY SCHIRRA AND EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES ON 
                              HIS PASSING

  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 446) honoring the life and

[[Page H6022]]

accomplishments of Astronaut Walter Marty Schirra and expressing 
condolences on his passing.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 446

       Whereas Walter Schirra was born on March 12, 1923, in 
     Hackensack, New Jersey;
       Whereas as an exchange pilot with the 154th Fighter Bomber 
     Squadron during the Korean War, he flew 90 combat missions in 
     F-84E jets and was credited with downing at least one MIG 
     fighter;
       Whereas on October 3, 1962, Walter Schirra became the fifth 
     person to fly in space when he piloted Mercury 8 (Sigma 7) on 
     a six-orbit mission lasting 9 hours, 13 minutes and 11 
     seconds;
       Whereas on December 15, 1965, Walter Schirra piloted Gemini 
     6A in what was the first attempted rendezvous by two manned 
     spacecraft in earth orbit;
       Whereas on October 11, 1968, he concluded his third and 
     final mission when he was launched as commander of Apollo 7, 
     the first manned Apollo mission, making Commander Schirra the 
     only astronaut to fly aboard Mercury, Gemini and Apollo 
     spacecrafts;
       Whereas Commander Schirra was the recipient of many 
     distinguished awards, including three distinguished flying 
     crosses, two air medals, two NASA Distinguished Services 
     Medals and induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame;
       Whereas after he retired to San Diego in 1984, Wally 
     dedicated much of his later years to working with children on 
     connecting them to the amazing possibilities that a career on 
     space exploration could provide, and as a tireless advocate 
     for discovery, Wally was an inspirational figure for 
     countless San Diegans; and
       Whereas Commander Schirra was an exemplary resident of the 
     State of California where he resided in La Jolla until the 
     time of his death on May 2, 2007: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the life and accomplishments of Astronaut Walter 
     Marty Schirra and expresses condolences on his passing; and
       (2) recognizes the profound importance of Astronaut 
     Schirra's record as a pioneer in space exploration and long-
     time contributor to NASA's mission as a catalyst to space 
     exploration and scientific advancement in the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Wu) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include 
extraneous material on H. Res. 446, the resolution now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of 
one of our heroes of the American space program, astronaut Walter 
Schirra, known as Wally Schirra. In his 84 years, spanning 1923 to 
2007, Captain Schirra took great risks on behalf of his country, 
including while serving in the Pacific during World War II.

                              {time}  1120

  During the Korean War, Captain Schirra served our country as an 
exchange pilot with the 154th Fighter Bomber Squadron and flew 90 
combat missions and downed at least one MIG fighter.
  In April of 1959, Wally Schirra was selected by NASA as one of the 
original Mercury 7 astronauts. On October 3, 1962, he became the third 
American to orbit the Earth when he piloted his Sigma 7 spacecraft on a 
six-orbit mission that lasted 9 hours 13 minutes and 11 seconds.
  As a brand new American who had just been in this country for a year 
and about 8 years old, I remember that, and I just remember that as one 
of the signal moments that I indeed had come to a country where 
anything and everything was possible, and Wally Schirra and others of 
the Mercury 7 group demonstrated that to America and to the world.
  Wally Schirra went on to pilot the Gemini 6A mission in 1965, which 
involved the first attempted rendezvous by two manned spacecraft in 
Earth orbit, and he made his third and final mission in October, 1968, 
as commander of the first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7.
  During his career as an astronaut, Wally Schirra was the only 
astronaut to fly aboard all three generations of our late sixties-early 
seventies spacecraft, the Mercury, the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft. 
His outstanding service to the U.S. space program is marked by several 
awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Medal, NASA 
Distinguished Service Medal, and induction into the National Aviation 
Hall of Fame.
  Wally Schirra was a tireless advocate for discovery and spent his 
later years helping to connect children with the amazing possibilities 
that a career in space exploration can offer.
  Mr. Speaker, today, I seek the support of this Chamber to honor the 
life and accomplishments of astronaut Wally Schirra, to express 
condolences on his passing, and to recognize the profound importance of 
astronaut Schirra's record as a space pioneer and a long-time 
contributor to NASA's mission of space exploration, scientific 
advancement and education in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting that this Chamber honor Wally 
Schirra's achievements, and I urge my colleagues to support this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank Mr. Wu, my friend from Oregon, for 
this resolution and want to speak in favor of H. Res. 446, which honors 
the life and accomplishments of an extraordinary man, astronaut Walter 
Marty Schirra. Wally Schirra, as he was known to nearly everyone, was 
truly a great American and a terrific human being.
  Wally Schirra was born in Hackensack, New Jersey, on March 12, 1923, 
and was perhaps best known as an accomplished NASA astronaut and human 
spaceflight pioneer, with the distinction of being the only astronaut 
to fly aboard the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecrafts. He was named 
one of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts in April of 1959 and became 
the fifth American to fly into space. Then, as the commander of the 
Gemini 6A spacecraft, he completed a dramatic rendezvous in space with 
the Gemini 7 spacecraft.
  Schirra then served as commander of the Apollo 7 mission, which was 
the first Apollo flight after the catastrophic 1967 launch pad fire 
that killed the original Apollo 1 crew. At the conclusion of the Apollo 
7 mission, Schirra had logged 295 hours and 15 minutes in space.
  Before his service with NASA, Wally Schirra had already served his 
country with honor as a pilot in the 154th Fighter Bomber Squadron 
during the Korean War. Schirra flew over 90 combat missions in F-84E 
jets and was credited with downing at least one enemy MIG fighter.
  What is perhaps less well-known about Wally Schirra is his personal 
warmth, his contagious sense of humor and his tireless dedication as an 
advocate for discovery. After his retirement in 1984, he spent many 
years working to inspire children to pursue their dreams by connecting 
them to the amazing possibilities of space exploration.
  Schirra captured the pride of our entire Nation when he wrote, ``We 
shared a common dream to test the limits of man's imagination and 
daring. Those early pioneering flights of Mercury, the performances of 
Gemini and the trips to the moon established us, once and for, all as 
what I like to call a spacefaring nation. Like England, Spain and 
Portugal crossing the seas in search of their nations' greatness, so we 
reached for the skies and emboldened our Nation.''
  I am deeply saddened by Wally Schirra's passing on May 2, 2007. He 
was truly an American hero. I am proud to support this resolution 
honoring such a prominent American citizen, military veteran and 
astronaut.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 446.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray).
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to, first of all, thank the chairman 
from Oregon and the ranking member for

[[Page H6023]]

supporting my bill, H. Res. 446, in recognition of the life of Wally 
Schirra. I would just have to say that when we go through the record of 
the life of Wally, he was a San Diegan for a long time; and we 
celebrated Wally as a neighbor and as a friend and as a national and 
international hero.
  The fact is that he did serve extensively, like many San Diegans, in 
the military, with three Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Air Medals, 
more than a MIG or two on the side. He obviously went into the space 
race with a lot of accomplishments.
  Being the only individual to fly in all three of the first stages of 
manned space flight for America was unique, but I think, as was pointed 
out before, Wally is a man that filled in so often when others might 
have hesitated.
  After the terrible disaster of losing astronauts in a major fire, he 
did not hesitate to look forward to being the first to step back into 
those capsules and move on and move up with our space race. That kind 
of bravery we didn't really take into consideration at the time. What a 
huge challenge it must have been to explain to your wife, ``Honey, I am 
going to get in this capsule. Somebody has to do it, and I will be the 
one.'' We don't think about that family, that personal aspect of being 
a hero and moving forward with those kinds of accomplishments.
  I also would like to say that we forget that, without the docking 
procedure that Wally was able to master, there was not going to be any 
trip to the moon. It was an essential component, as important as any 
missile, any rocket, any control system. The ability for man to dock 
with another spaceship was an essential part, and Wally was a major 
part of that.
  But I want to thank all my colleagues for supporting this bill. Wally 
was our neighbor, he was our friend, and he really did live a life that 
San Diegans are proud of in public service. He spent his later years 
working with the local museums for flight history, and he also spent a 
lot of time on his sailboat in San Diego.
  But I want to thank all of you, because Wally was not just a hero to 
the world and to America; he was a neighbor and a friend to those of us 
in San Diego.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.
  Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, again, this is a terrific resolution. Mr. Bilbray is 
rightfully proud to call Wally Schirra a neighbor and a friend. I think 
America can call him a neighbor and a friend as well.
  I expect to be proudly this Friday evening down at Cape Canaveral 
where we will hopefully send the next shuttle flight into space with 
some good luck and good fortune. And as I am down there I will join 
many Americans in thinking about Wally Schirra and the other great 
heroes that have come forward and made these great feats today possible 
and the many more opportunities in space that would not have happened 
without heroes like Wally Schirra.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and accomplishments of 
Astronaut Walter Marty Schirra, one of our heroes of the American space 
program.
  In his 84 years of life spanning from 1923-2007, Captain Schirra took 
great risks on behalf of his country.
  During the Korean War, Captain Schirra served the country as an 
exchange pilot with the 154th Fighter Bomber Squadron and flew 90 
combat missions and downed at least one MIG fighter.
  In April of 1959, ``Wally'' Schirra was selected by NASA as one of 
the original Mercury 7 astronauts.
  On October 3, 1962, he became the third American to orbit the Earth 
when he piloted his Sigma 7 spacecraft on a six-orbit mission that 
lasted 9 hours, 13 minutes, and 11 seconds.
  He went on to pilot the Gemini 6A mission in 1965, which involved the 
first attempted rendezvous by two manned spacecraft in Earth orbit, and 
he made his third and final mission in October 1968 as commander of the 
first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7.
  During his career as an astronaut, Wally Schirra was the only 
astronaut to fly aboard the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecrafts, 
and his outstanding service to the U.S. space program is marked by 
several awards, including Distinguished Flying Crosses, Air Medals, 
NASA Distinguished Service Medals, and induction into the National 
Aviation Hall of Fame.
  Wally Schirra was a tireless advocate for discovery and spent the 
later years of his life helping to connect children with the amazing 
possibilities that a career in space exploration can offer.
  Mr. Speaker, today I seek support to: honor the life and 
accomplishments of astronaut Walter ``Wally'' Schirra; to express 
condolences on his passing; and to recognize the profound importance of 
Astronaut Schirra's record as a space pioneer and a long-time 
contributor to NASA's mission as a catalyst to space exploration and 
scientific advancement in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting that this House honor Wally Schirra's 
achievements, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
H. Res. 446, honoring the life and accomplishments of Astronaut Walter 
Marty Schirra and expressing condolences on his passing.
  Astronaut Walter Marty Schirra was a member of the Mercury 7, who 
were named by NASA in April of 1959.
  He piloted the six orbit Sigma 7 Mercury flight, the Gemini 6 flight 
and was Command Pilot on the Apollo VII.
  Walter Schirra became the first man to fly in space three times after 
being pilot of the Apollo VII. Schirra received numerous awards and 
honors while being a member of NASA. Schirra logged more than 295 hours 
in space.
  After he left NASA in 1969, he worked as a television commentator 
during the Apollo moon landings, was an engineering consultant and 
worked on corporate boards.
  Not only was Walter Schirra an astronaut, but he was an advocate for 
students who want to pursue careers in science and engineering.
  He helped to found the Mercury Seven Foundation, which creates 
college scholarships for engineering and science students.
  The passing of Walter Schirra has been a huge loss to the space 
community and America as a whole.
  His contributions will never be forgotten, and he leaves a strong 
legacy of bravery and service. I urge support of this resolution.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the 
life of one of our great space pioneers, Walter M. ``Wally'' Schirra 
and to speak in support of H. Res. 446, a resolution to recognize his 
many accomplishments and honor his memory.
  Wally Schirra was one of the original seven Mercury Astronauts and 
the only astronaut to fly in all three of the earliest manned space 
programs: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.
  He was known for being an exact and precise pilot, and this aviation 
excellence speaks for itself as Capt. Schirra flew 90 combat missions 
while serving in the Navy during the Korean War. Later, during his 
Gemini 6 mission as a NASA astronaut, Schirra conducted the first 
rendezvous of manned spacecraft in orbit, considered one of the most 
challenging tasks in space flight at the time.
  Capt. Schirra was a great astronaut and a great American. What many 
of my colleagues may not realize is that Wally Schirra became an active 
businessman and citizen in Colorado after retiring from the space 
program.
  In the decade after he retired from NASA's Astronaut Corps, he moved 
to Denver where he lived a life as a successful businessman and an 
active environmentalist. When he first came to Colorado, he became the 
president of an investment company. Several years after that, he 
started an environmental management firm that concentrated their 
efforts towards developing solutions for environmental problems faced 
by the government and private industry.
  In addition to being an advisor to Colorado State University, Capt. 
Schirra was also an avid outdoors man, as evidenced by his tenure as a 
trustee of the Colorado Outward Bound School.
  Later in his life, while he continued to be busy in civic life, he 
played an active role in Colorado politics and served as Colorado's 
honorary chairman for Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign.
  I and my fellow Coloradans will miss him, and I urge my colleagues to 
honor his memory by passing H. Res. 446.

                              {time}  1130

  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the resolution, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 446.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.




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