Walter M. (Wally) SCHIRRA Jr.

CAREER

1940-1942:      Studied aeronautical engineering at the Newark College of Engineering

1942-1945:      StudentUSNAcademy

Aug 1945-Apr 1946:    Assigned to the armoured battle cruiser USS Alaska (CB-1) in the Pacific Ocean

Apr 1946-Dec 1946:    Assigned to the staff of the 7^th Fleet in the Pacific in China

Dec 1946-Jun 1948:     USN Pilot training; (Jun) designated Naval Aviator

Jun 1948-Jan 1951:      Pilot, Fighter Squadron VF-71, Quonset Point, Rhode Island.

Jan 1951-Dec 1951:     Exchange pilot with USAF serving with the 136^th Bomber wing and the 154^th Fighter Bomber wing based at Taegu, Korea completing 90 combat missions

Feb 1952-Feb 1954:    Air-to-Air Missile Officer, Naval Ordnance Test Station, China Lake, California engaged in development of the ‘Sidewinder’ missile.

Feb 1954-Oct 1954: Project pilot Cutlass (F7U3)  and FJ3 Fury, Fleet Aircraft Service  Squadron Twelve , Miramar Air Naval Station, San Diego; also served aboard the carrier USS Hancock

Oct 1954-Mar 1956:    Training pilot to composite Squadron Three (VC-3), Moffett field, California 

Mar 1956-Sep 1957:   Operations Officer, Fighter Squadron VF-124 aboard carrier USS Lexington the Pacific Ocean

Sep 1957-Dec 1957:    Attended air SafetySchool, Naval ROTC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Dec 1957-Apr 1959: Test pilot training, Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland; remained at Patuxent as a test pilot and assigned to the suitability development work on the F-4H jet fighter. 

ASTRONAUT ASSIGNMENTS

1959:   (09.04) Named as one of the ‘Original Seven’ Mercury astronauts by NASA (Group 1); Mercury training; (Jul) CB technical responsibility in life support issues

1960: Mercury training

1961: Mercury training

1962: Mercury training; (Feb) Capcom –California MS6; ( 15.03) named BUp Pilot Mercury 7; (May) BUp Pilot Mercury 7; (27.06) named Pilot Mercury 8; (Oct 03) flew as Pilot Mercury 8 (9 hrs 13 min); Mercury debrief;

1963: (26.01) CB technical assignment in Gemini and Apollo training procedures development; preliminary Gemini training; (May) Capcom Control Center MA9; Gemini training

1964: (13.04) Named BUP Command Pilot Gemini 3; Gemini mission training; (08.07) assigned Gemini Branch Office; Gemini mission training (Nov) informed he would fly as Command Pilot Gemini 6

1965: Gemini mission training; (Mar) BUp Command Pilot Gemini 3; (05.04) named Command Pilot Gemini 6; Gemini mission training (15-16.12) flew as Command Pilot Gemini 6; (25 hrs 51 min); performed first manned space rendezvous with Gemini 7

1966: (Jan) informed he would be Commander Apollo (Block I) 2; preliminary Apollo mission training (20.09) Named Commander Apollo 2 (Block 1); Apollo mission training; (17.11) Apollo 2 (Block 1) mission cancelled; crew reassigned (22.12) BUp Commander Apollo 1; Apollo mission training (Block 1)

1967: Apollo (Block I) mission training; (Jan 27) Apollo 1 crew killed in pad fire, assigned crews stood down pending investigation; Apollo generic training; (09.05) named Commander first manned Apollo; Apollo mission training; (20.11) confirmed Commander Apollo 7; Apollo mission training

1968: Apollo mission training; (11-22.10) flew as Commander Apollo 7 (260 hrs 9 min); first manned Apollo mission (Earth orbit);  Only astronaut to fly in all three American pioneering maned space programmes; CB technical assignments

1969: CB technical assignments; (01.07) retired from USN with rank of Captain and resigned from NASA

SPACEFLIGHT RECORD

POST ASTRONAUT EXPERIENCE

1969-1970: President Regency Investors Incorporated,Denver, Colorado

1970-1973: Chairman and CEO Environmental Control Company, EnglewoodColorado

1973-1974: Chairman, SERNCO Incorporated

1975-1977: Director at John-Mansville Corporation, Denver, Colorado

1977-1979: VP for Development, Goodwin Companies Inc, Littleton, Colorado

1979-1980: Independent Consultant Schirra Enterprises

1980- 2007 Independent consultant and external director of several companies

May 3 2007: Died aged 84, in La Jolla, California, USA