|
|
 Hello/Intro |
Web Promo |
| Light This Candle Script |
Short Credits |
| Script Part 2 |
Key: American History / Biography |
| Script Part 3 |
Key: Science / Technology |
| Web Extras |
Key: Culture |
|
|
| Hello/Intro |
Web Promo |
| Light This Candle Script |
Short Credits |
| Script Part 2 |
Key: American History / Biography |
| Script Part 3 |
Key: Science / Technology |
| Web Extras |
Key: Culture |
| Hello/Intro Return to index of stories... |
Dudley Shepard/ First Cousin May 5, 1961/ Cape Canaveral, FL George Sheldon/ Classmate Foster Ball/Classmate Marion Pounder/ Classmate Dudley Shepard/ First Cousin Anne Bullis/ First Cousin Laura Shepard Churchley / Alan Shepard's Daughter Anne Bullis Alan B. Shepard/ 1998 April 12, 1961 David Bartlett Sherman\ Alan Shepard's nephew Julie Shepard Jenkins / Alan Shepard's Daughter Betsey Neslin/ Alan Shepard's niece August 1, 1998 - Johnson Space Center Gordon Cooper/ Mercury 7 astronaut Walter Schirra/ Mercury 7 astronaut |
| Light This Candle Script Return to index of stories... |
Open: Music up. White text on black star background: FADE UP AND DOWN I must admit, maybe I am a piece of history after all. - Alan Shepard AS TEXT FADES, VIEW TILTS DOWN TO GLOWING EARTH - CAPE CANAVERAL IS VISIBLE Date/locator key over first video: "May 5, 1961" "Cape Canaveral, Florida" Music continues over first video and fades down as nat. sound starts with blastoff. Video: Mercury Freedom 7 Tape 0:27:00 ** Shepard Does his inspection Soundup: Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:13:10 * Nat sound Mercury 7 liftoff Soundup: Mercury Freedom 7 Tape **** 0:31:00: All right - liftoff and the clock has started. ** This is Freedom 7. The fuel is go. 1.2G. Track: On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard rode a rocket into history. Video: Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:20:05 ** Kennedy and Shepard*** I want to again express my congratulations to Alan Shepard. NEW TRACK: But illness struck, and for 5 long years, Shepard was grounded. Until he found his way back. Way back…. Soundup: Mission to Fra Mauro tape 0:05:03 "Ohh it's something. A really wild place up here." Track: ….All the way to the moon. Soundup: Mission to Fra Mauro tape 0:10:30 "It looks like you're about on the bottom step, and on the surface. How's that for an old man."***** "OK. You're right. Al is on the surface and it's been a long way, but we're here." FADE TO BLACK AND UP Soundup: Appropriate music - video of the balsa wood models Track: That long way began with dreams crafted of balsa wood. Weighted only by glue and string. Crude but featherlight, these almost light as aircraft embodied and ignited the ambitions of a young boy gazing up in East Derry, NH. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 14:120:05 WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME AWARE OF HIS FASCINATION W FLIGHT? 14:20:09 I'd answer you in terms of model airplanes, I was just beginning to build model airplanes and I was utterly fascinated, they seemed miraculous to me that something so light, we had to build them with balsa wood, but it amazed me when you made a structure that was strong and could fly. We come up here to Derry to visit cousins up here and Alan sometimes would have a model airplane, much bigger and more elaborate than mine, and that was always a thrill for me. Track: The Shepard family was prominent in Derry society. His grandfather Fritz owned the local bank and was politically active, having once entertained President William Howard Taft at their residence. One of Alan's ancestors was Josiah Bartlett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. And the Shepards were patriotic, with Alan assigned to raise - and salute the flag each day. Standup: But Alan's great obsession was flight. His first attempt was with a large homemade glider he borrowed from a friend. He actually strapped it on - front and back - set the wings, ran down a hill behind his home - took a leap - went about 4 feet - and crashed. You could say his test pilot days had begun. FADE TO BLACK - BRING UP WHITE TEXT ON BLACK BACKGROUND: They say any landing you can walk away from is a good one. - Alan Shepard Track: Alan Shepard did well at school, studying hard and even skipping a elementary grade. Soundup: Shepard Classmates Tape 3 3:15:05 **** Bell rings at Pinkerton Academy Track: As a result, he entered high school at Derry's Pinkerton Academy as one of the younger and smaller students. So he had to be smarter… Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: 01:00:54 First day of school we came in as freshman and the sophomores had us all lined up alphabetically according to alphabetical order, so as a result Shepard was right behind me and we had to go down the stairs of this building and the sophomores were waiting there with a big, big bucket of water and so they were dunking all the freshman, well they dunked me under water and I heard Shepard say "hold him under, hold him under" because he figured the longer they held me under the less they would give to him. Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: 01:10:35 …he took part in the plays, both the junior and senior plays, he did other things like that, but otherwise he was just a good student going along and just one of us, one of the guys. Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: 1:19:00 I was in many classes with him and what I would say. There was no question that he was superior in science and math and he was like the rest of us in English and history Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: 01:02:00 I remember Alan sat in front of me in math class of Mr. Harrimans, and when I was dreaming of women and football he was doing his math in a proper manner. Track: Alan Shepard's dreams were of flight. But just to look at planes meant riding more than a dozen miles to Grenier Field - now known as Manchester Airport. Alan needed a new bike with gears to cover the distance. His grandmother Nanzie devised a plan - raise chickens, sell the eggs, buy the bike - earn your way to Grenier Field. 0:02:30 Alan on his bike Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 15:56:28 … and when he went out there, he just hung around as any young boy would do. Then he was noticed by the manager and as time went along the manager gave him small jobs to do but he worked himself up to stay w it like more important jobs like working on a plane engine or changing the oil, whatever one might do. Finally he told the manager I would really like to take some lessons, and I'm not sure he was old enough get a license and the manager respected the work he had done and he was able to take some lessons. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 14:23:42 The story is that when he did get his wings there he took his family up, each one for a flight and in the case of his mother who was very open to activity and risk was enthusiastic and jumped in the airplane when her turn came and he took up and did some loops and looked as if she'd maybe had enough so he circled back to land and then Alan changed his mind. It appealed to him to take her back for some more loops. Track: Alan earned a reputation as a practical joker early on. Like the family Christmas at his uncle Fritz's home. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 14:26:40. uncle Fritz was top of the family, he was the oldest and held the most sway and you didn't really fool around with uncle Fritz even although he was a generous man. Uncle Fritz always had a cigar after the Christmas dinner, that in itself was impressive and this particular time Alan offered him a cigar and amazingly - just beyond belief - Alan had given him an exploding cigar and Uncle Fritz lit it up and BAMMO, I just have never forgotten it. Track: As the Pinkerton class of 1940 approached graduation, there was one subject on everyone's mind. Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: 01:05:42 I know in senior history, American history, we had a lot of discussions about that. Would we be involved in the war? Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: 01:02:45 If you read the year book you'll find where Allan keeps quoting the Navy, the Navy's the place to be. but his father instilled in him that posture that West Point type of posture, you'll notice in all the photos back in that era that he always stood with shoulders way back and chest out and so forth. Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: **** 1:16:10 To categorize him, he was more a leader than a follower. But I found him to be a loner too. He knew what direction he was going in. If you wanted to follow that was fine. If you didn't want to go in his direction - he wasn't going to go in your direction. So, as far as being a leader, he was very determined. Very set in his way. So, I'm sure he blended right into being a midshipman and an ? Really was at home there. Track: Shepard entered the Naval Academy and while there, he met his future wife Louise, though it took years to win her. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, his class learned it would enter service a year early. Alan's favorite cousin - Eric - was training as a Marine pilot - and died in a crash the day after Christmas, 1942. 0:11:25 Alan in navy whites getting kisses; Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 ERICS DEATH? 14:30:58 I remember vividly, being in Uncle Fritz house in Newton and the darkness which is not at all a matter of light, the emotional darkness but I remember the family being there, the same, very closeknit family. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 CHRISTMAS AFTER COUSIN ERICS DEATH… 15:59:30 I remember that my Uncle Fritz called my father and it was late at night, I was already asleep. I have a very strong memory of my father answering the phone they talked briefly and my dad said to us that Eric had been killed in an airplane accident in Florida. The really my uncle called was because my father was in the navy and he said can you do anything to find out what happened. I'll never forget that moment because the whole family was devastated and it seemed to be an accidental death. Track: Alan Shepard graduated from Annapolis the day after D-day - and served aboard the Destroyer USS Cogswell through heavy action in the Pacific war. Video: Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:12:42 Naval officer Shepard - Cogswell Soundup/video: Atomic bomb Nagasaki or Hiroshima Track: After the atomic bomb ended World War Two, Alan Shepard applied for and got into Navy flight school. Video: Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:12:25 Carrier pilot alan Track: His expertise at flying the most challenging aircraft led him to become a carrier pilot and later a navy test pilot. It was work he loved - and then came Sputnik - the launch of the Soviet space program. Shepard's daughter Laura remembers it well. Bite: Groundbreaking Tape 1 1:32:20 I was in 6th grade and my father said 'Laura, we're going out to the street.' 'Okay, daddy. It's daylight - why are we going out to the street?' 'We're going to look for one round shiny star.' I said "but it's daylight daddy." "It's sputnik Laura." What's sputnik daddy?' And here we are, broad daylight, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Brandon Road, looking in this certain area of the sky for the very first time one could view sputnik and my father was furious and I wasn't quite sure if he was, mad at me because I was kind of questioning why we were going outside to look for a star in the day time, but he was angry that Russia had gotten into space before America. NEW TRACK: As the Russians built their lead in the space race, America responded with the Mercury program. Over a hundred test pilots applied. The names of the first astronauts would be revealed in early April, 1959 - which was also when Anne Shepard was to become Anne Bullis. |
| Script Part 2 Return to index of stories... |
Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 Bullis 16:05:30 That whole weekend our rehearsal and the wedding it was a time when all the Shepards turned out for the wedding and we had a wonderful dinner and the next day my husband and I were certainly very involved in our wedding them spent that night locally. We get off the plane in Bermuda and going through the airport of course the newspapers, the first seven astronauts and Alan Shepard, my cousin, was one of them. I looked at my husband and said "he didn't say anything about this to anyone the whole two days of the wedding and he knew!" he must've been bursting to share this with his family and I'm sure his did, tell his parents But nobody mentioned it because it was our weekend and I'll never forget him for that, ever. Track: Shepard hadn't wanted the wedding to be about him - but he worked hard to made himself the choice for first in space. The Mercury 7 astronauts were all test pilots, many with considerable combat experience, and all competed hard to be the choice. As the program intensified, so did their rivalries. Finally, they gathered to hear the decision. The public would be told there were three finalists - but the astronauts would know the order. Bite: NASA TV Coverage Tape 18;17:50 "Shepard gets the first flight, Grissom gets the second flight, and Glenn is the backup for both of these two sub-orbital missions. Any questions?" Absolute silence. He said, "Thank you very much. Good luck," turned around, and left the room. Well, there I am looking at six faces looking at me and feeling, of course, totally elated that I had won the competition. But yet almost immediately afterwards feeling sorry for my buddies, because there they were. I mean, they were trying just as hard as I was and it was a very poignant moment because they all came over, shook my hand, and pretty soon I was the only guy left in the room. 18:18;47 Track: Shepard broke the news to his family. Bite: Groundbreaking Tape 1 01:35:05 They will take me, put me in a capsule, put the capsule on a rocket, fire the rocket into space, and I will come down to earth safely. And well - that was a good story, and that sounds like a good job, so we told him to have fun and have a good trip. NEW TRACK: But it was two chimps - Enos and then Ham - who flew first and - Shepard would later say - cost him the race. Tape **** 0:17:27 recovery forces pick up Ham Soundup; Soviet Anthem Video: Russian Anniversary Tape 18;04;06 ** Gagarin walking to launch Soundup: Russian Anniversary Tape 18:04:27 The Launch Track: On April 12, 1961, Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin took a trip on Vostok 1 and became the first person in space. It was a propaganda triumph for the Soviets - who literally paraded their latest accomplishment. Track: Three weeks later, after weather delays, Alan Shepard climbed into the tiny capsule he named Freedom 7. Bite: DAVID BARTLETT SHERMAN BITE MV_4901 00:00:10 …we had a call from my Uncle the night before telling us the weather looked great and the mission was go. We slept well got up early, and we watched the flight on our black and white set in my grandfather's living room and grandmother and mother on the couch, my grandfather in a chair who looked quietly confident and I think my grandmother was very happy to see it happen, even before the launch. Standup: Shepard's capsule sat on top of a Redstone rocket - in fact a ballistic missile. This is what it looked like - less than a third the height of the Saturn rocket that would take Apollo to the moon. And not enough power to launch an astronaut into full orbit. But it was what America had to work with. As delay gave way to delay, Shepard was forced to relieve his bladder in his suit. Finally, he told the engineers: "Why don't you fix your little problem, and light this candle?" Soundup: Mercury Freedom 7 Tape **** 0:31:00: All right - liftoff and the clock has started. ** This is Freedom 7. The fuel is go. 1.2G. Soundup: Mercury Freedom 7 Tape 0:32:50 ** Opening periscope. What a beautiful view. Cloud cover over Florida. A view of the East Coast. Obscured through Hatteras. Okay, this is Freedom 7. Track: Within 15 minutes, the suborbital flight was over, and America had a new hero. And unlike the Russian Gagarin whose flight was controlled from the ground, Shepard actually took control of his capsule. NEW BITE: DAVID BARTLETT SHERMAN BITE MV_4901 00:00:45 It was a real flight with a real pilot, my Uncle first pitched the capsule, then he yawed the capsule, and then he rolled the capsule and American was very pleased to be back in the space race. Track: Shepard's hometown was in a frenzy. It was time for a parade. Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: **** 02:08;30 …to say you were from Derry was something to be proud of. Today in this country it shard to be proud of something , but I those days and because he did that when you said 'Derry, NH' you were proud of Derry, NH - and NH people were proud to be from NH. New England people were jumping in the act because they were saying NH is part of New England. Bite: Shepard Classmates Tape 1: 02:09:13- 02:10:24 … this was a first step to compete, to be competitive with the Russians, it made tremendous pride because there was a time in the '50s when people really questioned the american system. If this Communist country can have these successes well then what's wrong with us? Track: Derry began calling itself Spacetown, USA… Video: Derry Parade Tape 1:04:11 2 signs - "Well done, Astronaut Shepard" & From "Spacetown, USA" Soundup: Shepard Classmates Tape 3 3:01:33 "Ball down at the 35 yard line of the Astros" Track: …and Pinkerton Academy's school teams were renamed: "the Astros." Bite: NASA TV Coverage Tape 18;19:45 SHEPARD: …We were invited back to Washington after the mission, and I got a nice little medal from the President, and which by the way he dropped. Bite: Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:20:05 ** Kennedy and Shepard*** I want to again express my congratulations to Alan Shepard. We're very proud of him, and I speak on behalf of the Vice President who is chairman of our space council and who bears great responsibility in this field. Bite: NASA TV Coverage Tape 18;20:15 .and the thing slid out of the box and went to the deck, and Kennedy and I both bent over for it. We almost banged heads. Kennedy made it first... and he said, in his damn Yankee accent,... "Here, Shepard, I give you. Bite: Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:20:40 ….this decoration which has gone from the ground up. Here. Bite: NASA TV Coverage Tape 18;22;00 Just 3 weeks after that mission, 15 minutes in space, Kennedy made his announcement: "Folks, we are going to the Moon, and we're going to do it within this decade." After 15 minutes of space time! Now, you don't think he was excited? You don't think he was a space cadet? Absolutely, absolutely! 18:22:38 Track: Shepard believed he would be among the first to the moon, but when he developed an inner-ear disorder, he was grounded. Bite: Groundbreaking Tape 1 1:37:20 ….he was told he could not even fly an airplane again, the challenges for my mother, for our entire family, it was a challenge, let's just say that. Track: NASA made Shepard Chief of the Astronaut Office - and proved to be a tough administrator. His fellow astronauts led by Wally Schirra got a little payback by making a film about Shepard. Bite; Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:13:50 *** Alan Shepard Jr. Astronaut Hero. OR How to Succeed in Business without really flying - Much. Bite; Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:05:10 …recommended the immediate transfer of Shepard to the fledgling space program. Only two had gone before. Ham and Enos. Al studied their training procedure Track: Like his mother and wife, Alan Shepard was a Christian Scientist, a faith that emphasizes prayer and positive thinking over medicine. But finally, he underwent a risky operation so he could fly again. It worked and at the age of 45, he would return to space in Apollo 14, though he made sure to take a copy of the Christian Science Monitor with him. He would need positive thinking to get there. Bite: Mission to Fra Mauro tape 0:03:40 "OK Houston. I hit it pretty good and held it four seconds on contact and we did not latch." "Roger. We're seeing it all on TV here." "Well, we better back off here and ahh, think about this one Houston." Track: First, the mission team needed several attempts to connect to the lunar module. Bite: Mission to Fra Mauro tape 0:07:200 ""Abort radar. Abort radar." Track: Then, another problem. The landing radar, which could tell them their altitude above the Lunar surface wasn't working. Standing orders were to end the mission if the radar didn't function by 13,000 feet of the surface. Shepard was piloting the lunar lander. |
| Script Part 3 Return to index of stories... |
Bite: NASA TV Coverage Tape 18:25:30 And I knew if I could see that surface, I could put that baby down. The heck with the landing radar. Bite: Mission to Fra Mauro tape 0:07:50 ***** "And there it is." "Right on the money." "Absolutely right on the money." "Its beautiful." "Right out the window, just like the simulations." "Outstanding." "Antares, Houston. You're go for landing." Track: Alan Shepard had not come all this way for nothing and finally the radar began working. Soundup: Mission to Fra Mauro tape 0:09:50 "Twenty feet. Ten. Three feet per second. Contact Al!" "Full stop. Auto, auto." "We're on the surface!" "OK, Bite: NASA TV Coverage Tape 18:25:45 We land on the surface, turning the switches off and Ed Mitchell turned to me and said, "Alan, what were you going to do if the landing radar had not been working by 13,000 feet?" I said, "Ed, you'll never know." 18;26:02 Track: Alan Shepard became the only one of the original Mercury 7 to reach the Moon. Bite: NASA TV Coverage Tape 18;26:10 SHEPARD: … Of course the first feeling was one of a tremendous sense of accomplishment, I guess if you will. A tremendous sense of realizing that, "Hey, not too long ago I was grounded. Now I'm on the Moon." There was that sense of self-satisfaction immediately. But then that went away, because we had a lot of work to do. Track: Following the Apollo tradition, Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell planted the flag and then did two expeditions to collect data and lunar samples. Just before departing the moon, Alan Shepard - second in space, fifth on the moon - accomplished his very own first which has never been matched. Bite: Apollo 14 - Shepard Golf Shot 0:00:55 You might recognize what I have in my hand - it is the handle for the contingency sample return. I just so happen to have a genuine 6 iron on the bottom of it and in my left hand I have a little white pellet familiar to millions of Americans. I'll drop it down. Unfortunately, the suit is so stiff, I can't do it with two hands but I'm going to try a little sand trap shot here. TAKES SHOT I got more dirt than ball. Track: The first two golf shots were disappointing…. Soundup: Apollo 14 - Shepard Golf Shot :01:38 "Here I go again." "That looked like a slice to me Al." Track: …but the last shot…. Soundup: Apollo 14 - Shepard Golf Shot 0:01:55 "Miles and miles and miles." Bite: Groundbreaking Tape 2 2:11:53-2:12:07 He was really trying to do a science project - to let everybody know about the weightlessness on the moon - he wanted to show the next generation what it was really like. Yeah -he definitely had a sense of humor Soundup: Mission to Fra Mauro tape 0:22:05 ***** ""three, two, one, zero, ignition.We have ignition." "What a liftoff." "And liftoff." "Roger, ignition." "Ooh.Pitch over." "Pitch over. Ten seconds." "Roger." "Yeah baby." "Pitch over is good." "Really looks good Houston." "Roger, you're looking good from down here Alan." "Coming up on one minute." Track: Thirty three and a half hours after landing, the Apollo 14 crew began the journey home. Soundup: Mission to Fra Mauro tape 0:22:45 "Really looks good Houston." "Roger, you're looking good from down here Alan." Track: It was Alan Shepard's second and last time in space. The navy promoted him to rear Admiral He retired from NASA, engaged in business ventures, and kept up his golf game. And, as with so many famous people, every aspect of his life was scrutinized. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 14:57:20 I didn't know that Alan had a reputation as a womanizer until it came out in these books. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 14:59:09 This is just a theory of mine, and that is, you see this type of womanizing in the big sport stars the super basketball players and so on, you see it in American presidents these are people by fate and by natural ability are thrust into really unusual heights and I think that brings with it, of course probably attract the woman with whom there's gonna womanizing with, but I think it puts people in a different needs…but that doesn't speak against the real connection between a husband and a wife, between Alan and Louise. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 16:14:31 You know they were they first astronauts and it was like being the first Oscar winner perhaps…that was heady stuff in those days. Track: Despite everything, Alan Shepard and Louise Shepard had by all accounts a lifelong and happy marriage. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 16:15:20 I think that he was a very loyal family member, he was proud of his family. I said that the three brothers and their families and there wasn't a wedding or funeral that we attended that he didn't. He was just another cousin, not an astronaut, he was there to help to make things go smoothly, he thought what he could do to make it a success whatever it was, he was a very family oriented person and I'd like to think that our whole family was similar to that. That we hung together, encouraged each other and part of a group we were proud to be part of. Track: Just ask Shepard's niece Betsy Naislin. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 15:31:50 When he came back from the moon and there are all sorts of people gathered at my grandparents house and I wanted to talk to him so I finally got him alone in the sun porch and asked him and he said, "it was wild" and he was a man of few words as far as I was concerned. We just thought he was the coolest relative ever. Track: Alan Shepard died of leukemia in 1998. At his memorial service, the surviving Mercury astronauts recalled their intense rivalries. Bite: DVCPro Memorial Service 15:34:45 We raced many miles in identical Corvettes. And I'm sorry Al that I never told you I changed the ratio in my differential. You really weren't any less a driver - it's just that I cheated a little on you. Bite: DVCPro Memorial Service 15:30:05 As I watched, I saw Alan Shepard stand out. I made the mistake of voting for him on that peer thing, now that I think about it." As a result, I could see Al was becoming our leader. Bite: DVCPro Memorial Service 15:32:05 * Bye bye Al. Track: As the first and second generations of astronauts honored their late comrade, the navy choir sang an updated version of the navy hymn, "For those in Peril on the Sea". Bite: DVCPro Memorial Service 16:01 40 "Hear us when we seek thy grace, For those who soar through outer space." AMEN 16:01:55 Standup/Track: The life journey of Alan Bartlett Shepard endures - in memory, in books, in history, and living monuments like the McAuliffe/Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, NH. Here, all generations can learn about the dreams and accomplishments of our space pioneers. It's a place to share one of Alan Shepard's lasting memories from his time on the moon…. Bite: NASA TV Coverage Tape 18;26:55 …we had a few moments to look around, to look up in the black sky-a totally black sky, even though the Sun is shining on the surface it's not reflected, there's no diffusion, no reflection-a totally black sky and seeing another planet: planet Earth. Now planet Earth is only four times as large as the Moon, so you can really still put your thumb and your forefinger around it at that distance. So it makes it look beautiful; it makes it look lonely; it makes it look fragile. You think to yourself, just imagine that millions of people are living on that planet and don't realize how fragile it is. I think this is a feeling everyone has had and expressed it in one fashion or another. That was an overwhelming feeling in seeing the beauty of the planet on the one hand but the fragility of it on the other. 18;28:12 END OF SCRIPT |
| Web Extras Return to index of stories... |
Web Extras: #1: Copy: Alan Shepard's cousin, Dudley Shepard, also had a strong connection to the space program. After graduating from MIT, Dudley worked on rocket guidance systems for the Apollo program at Draper Labs - where Alan paid a visit: Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 14:52:30 I showed up and very quickly Alan and I sought each other out. We talked then he said, 'Dudley, have you met Dr. Draper?' and I said 'oh no.' and he said 'come with me…" so I trotted along behind Alan and we walked up to Dr. Draper and I heard Alan say this is my cousin and he works here… we shook hands and so on, then Alan said in a total straight face and said, "I want you to do a favor for me, I want you to make a promise that my cousin Dudley with never work on the Apollo program' and both Alan and Dr. Draper start laughing, I got a big kick out of that, his humor…I did some of the very best things in my career for the Apollo program… #2: Copy: Betsey Neslin, Alan Shepard's niece, got to see her uncle at many happy family occasions. Bite: Shepard Relatives Disk #1 15:31:50 When he came back from the moon and there are all sorts of people gathered at my grandparents house and I wanted to talk to him so I finally got him alone in the sun porch and asked him and he said, "it was wild" and he was a man of few words as far as I was concerned. We just thought he was the coolest relative ever and it; just a big part of our identity. #3: Copy: Alan Shepard took great pleasure in sharing what he called "science experiments" with his daughters Laura and Julie. One such experiment was on board a military jet. Julie Shepard Jenkins told this story at the groundbreaking ceremony for the McAulifffe/Shepard Discovery Center in 2007. Bite: Groundbreaking Tape #1 1:33:40- Well, this is one of these things you didn't take to show and tell, Daddy shared an airplane with his friend in Texas, which we did an awful lot of flying to come and see our family in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. So Daddy figured out a way to give us a really good ride, he wanted to show us a science project basically, what it was is he would start, he goes "girls, I want you to undo your seatbelts." We undid our seatbelts trusting this pilot, and he started exceeding up to the sky and right as he arched to come back down, we were floating weightless in the cabin of this small airplane. It just goes to show you that daddy was a wonderful teacher. #4: Copy: At the Memorial Service for Alan Shepard at the Johnson Space Center in August, 1998, Pastor Peter Vanderhoef shared a funny anecdote about his friend Alan. Bite: DVCPro Memorial Service 15:05:28 Our girls regarded Alan as their friend's Daddy, and not as a world-famous figure. So when he offered to fly them along with his three to Maine, to his summer camp, we were thrilled for their sakes. We thought - just think what the children can tell their children, that Alan Shepard had flown them to Maine. As parents, that was our perspective. Having been a WW2 B-17 bomber pilot, I immediately asked him 'how are you going to manage 5 rambunctious little girls on the plane?' He replied, 'it's very simple. If they get restless, I'll just go up to 10,000 feet - and they will all go to sleep." 15:06:25 #5: Copy: On the 6th anniversary of Shepard's flight on Freedom 7, fellow astronaut Wally Schirra produced a humorous video titled Astronaut Hero, or, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Flying - Much. The video poked fun at Alan Shepard who had been appointed head of the Astronaut Office after being grounded for medical reasons. Bite: Hall of Fame Dub Tape 0:13:50 *** Alan Shepard Jr. Astronaut Hero. OR How to Succeed in Business without really flying - Much. TAKE IT TO THE END. |
| Web Promo Return to index of stories... |
Did you have a reaction to any of the stories or interviews featured in this program? Did we miss anything or do you have suggestions for future Outlook espisodes? If so, we want to hear from you. Drop us an email at nhoutlook@nhptv.org. As always, you can find these stories and more online at nhptv.org/outlook. Connect with us online. New Hampshire Outlook is available online on demand at nhptv.org/outlook. We've been streaming our programs since Outlook premiered in September 2000. Whether you want to watch this show again, email it to a friend, search and watch past programs or get more information on thousands of stories and topics, you'll find it all at nhptv.org/outlook. |
| Short Credits Return to index of stories... |
Additional Video courtesy: NASA Alex Douglas Sculpting with Time.com Photos courtesy: Anne Bullis Dudley Shepard Betsey Neslin Balsa models courtesy Paul K. Guillow, Inc. |
| Key: American History / Biography Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK: SPECIAL Air Date/Time: 5/5/2011 HOST: Richard Ager Length: 25:00 A half century ago, Alan Shepard of Derry, NH climbed through a narrow hatch into a small capsule that sat on top of a Redstone rocket. During recent tests, this missile had been known to explode, but that didn’t stop Shepard. He was determined to become the first American in space and on May 5, 1961, he endured endless delays and finally said to the engineers at mission control: “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?” The rest is history. On May 5, 2011, NH Outlook will present “Light This Candle”, a look at the life and accomplishments of Alan Shepard as recalled by family members, classmates, and Shepard’s fellow space explorers. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: George Sheldon\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Foster Ball\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Marion Pounder\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Dudley Shepard\First Cousin, Anne Bullis\First Cousin, Laura Shepard Churchley\Alan Shepard's Daughter, Julie Shepard Jenkins\Alan Shepard's Daughter, Alan B. Shepard\1998, David Bartlett Sherman\ Alan Shepard's Nephew, Betsey Neslin\ Alan Shepard's Niece, Gordon Cooper\Mercury 7 Astronaut, Walter Schirra\Mercury 7 Astronaut |
| Key: Science / Technology Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK: SPECIAL Air Date/Time: 5/5/2011 HOST: Richard Ager Length: 25:00 A half century ago, Alan Shepard of Derry, NH climbed through a narrow hatch into a small capsule that sat on top of a Redstone rocket. During recent tests, this missile had been known to explode, but that didn’t stop Shepard. He was determined to become the first American in space and on May 5, 1961, he endured endless delays and finally said to the engineers at mission control: “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?” The rest is history. On May 5, 2011, NH Outlook will present “Light This Candle”, a look at the life and accomplishments of Alan Shepard as recalled by family members, classmates, and Shepard’s fellow space explorers. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: George Sheldon\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Foster Ball\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Marion Pounder\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Dudley Shepard\First Cousin, Anne Bullis\First Cousin, Laura Shepard Churchley\Alan Shepard's Daughter, Julie Shepard Jenkins\Alan Shepard's Daughter, Alan B. Shepard\1998, David Bartlett Sherman\ Alan Shepard's Nephew, Betsey Neslin\ Alan Shepard's Niece, Gordon Cooper\Mercury 7 Astronaut, Walter Schirra\Mercury 7 Astronaut |
| Key: Culture Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK: SPECIAL Air Date/Time: 5/5/2011 HOST: Richard Ager Length: 25:00 A half century ago, Alan Shepard of Derry, NH climbed through a narrow hatch into a small capsule that sat on top of a Redstone rocket. During recent tests, this missile had been known to explode, but that didn’t stop Shepard. He was determined to become the first American in space and on May 5, 1961, he endured endless delays and finally said to the engineers at mission control: “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?” The rest is history. On May 5, 2011, NH Outlook will present “Light This Candle”, a look at the life and accomplishments of Alan Shepard as recalled by family members, classmates, and Shepard’s fellow space explorers. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: George Sheldon\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Foster Ball\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Marion Pounder\Classmate, Pinkerton Academy, Dudley Shepard\First Cousin, Anne Bullis\First Cousin, Laura Shepard Churchley\Alan Shepard's Daughter, Julie Shepard Jenkins\Alan Shepard's Daughter, Alan B. Shepard\1998, David Bartlett Sherman\ Alan Shepard's Nephew, Betsey Neslin\ Alan Shepard's Niece, Gordon Cooper\Mercury 7 Astronaut, Walter Schirra\Mercury 7 Astronaut |