The 94-foot long, Titan II rocket at the Stafford Museum is the type used to launch the Gemini missions into space. Photo by Elaine Warner
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DreamHigh By Elaine Warner T
he Stafford Museum honors the life and aviation accom- plishments of Oklahoma native Thomas P. Stafford. The mu- seum—located in Stafford’s birthplace, Weatherford, Okla.,—is one of those plac- es that seems much larger on the inside than it does on the outside. The first two rooms are biographical. Exhibits include samples of schoolwork, family photos, childhood toys and books, Stafford’s Boy Scout neckerchief, and even his high school letter jacket. Other dis- plays feature his years with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Be sure and watch the short video, “General Thomas P. Stafford: An American Treasure, An Oklahoma Hero.” The Apollo 10 dress rehearsal for the moon landing and the Apollo-Soyuz pro- gram, a cooperative effort with Russian cosmonauts to “hook up” in space, get extensive treatment in this area. The next section features full-scale repli- cas of early flying machines and embarks on the history of man’s attempts to fly. A small theater features a movie of some spec- tacular early failures like the “flying sau- sage” and the “wooden eagle.”
At this point guests detour into rocketry and space. From rocket engines and the 94-foot-long Titan II missile, to one of the actual mission control panels used during the Apollo 13 mission, there’s a lot to see. A half-scale model of the lunar lander and a full-scale replica of a command module are popular exhibits.
Among the rare artifacts in the museum are items that were used by the astronauts in space. A prize of the collection is the actual suit worn on the Apollo 10 mission by Gen. (then Col.) Stafford.
Segueing back into the realm of more 22
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conventional aircraft, the museum exhibits end with several planes associated with Stafford, who, during his career, flew over 130 different aircraft.
Apollo 10
Stafford is a larger-than-life figure. A ge- nius, yes, but he also has a sense of humor. Commander Charles Smiley, who is retired from the U.S. Navy, tells the story of the Apollo 10’s return to Earth. Smiley, origi- nally from Oklahoma City, was in charge of the recovery team.
Smiley describes the re-entry and Pacific splashdown.
“The three main chutes and the com- mand module were silhouetted against the predawn sky. From the top of the pilot chutes to the bottom of the command module was 210 feet—a 20-story building descending a mile away. Splashdown!” Commander Smiley’s helicopter hovered close to the site as the dive crew removed the chutes and installed the flotation collar and life raft. Aboard Smiley’s aircraft was the NASA surgeon. Concerned for the as- tronauts who had been bobbing in the wa- ter, he asked Smiley to contact the astronauts.
“Apollo 10, this is Recovery. How are you doin’?”
“We’re okay,” Stafford answered. A few minutes later, the surgeon signaled for Smiley to call again.
Smiley says, “The answer came back, ‘Recovery, we’re doin’ okay.’ There was maybe a bit of an edge to the answer. They were busy in there.”
When the surgeon asked a third time, Smiley protested but was told by the doc- tor, “I have a protocol.”
Continued on Page 34 Ca
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