    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [May 3, 2007]
    [Pages 535-536]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Death of Walter M. Schirra, Jr.
    May 3, 2007

        Laura and I are saddened by the death of
    Wally Schirra. Wally was a member of the original seven, our Nation's
    first class of astronauts. ``Jolly Wally,'' as he was affectionately
    known, was the fifth American to go into space, and holds the
    distinction as the only astronaut to fly in each of NASA's pioneering
    space flight programs: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. His ventures into
    space furthered our understanding of manned space flight and helped pave
    the way for mankind's first journey to the Moon. Laura and I join
    Wally's family and

    [[Page 536]]

    friends and the NASA community in mourning the loss of an American hero.