09/15/2021
Rancho Santa Fe Legends ~
Walter Schirra, Jr., born March 12, 1923 in Hackensack, NJ. He was commonly known as “Wally”, and began flying at just thirteen years-old.
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Schirra was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy on June 6, 1945. Schirra served during the final months of World War II aboard the large cruiser USS Alaska.
Schirra received his naval aviator wings in 1948 and joined Fighter Squadron 71 (VF-71) at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. He spent the next ten years flying various missions for the US Navy.
From 1959 to 1969, Walter Schirra, Jr. had an impressive career with NASA. At the start, he was one of 110 military test pilots for the newly formed NASA Project Mercury, the first US-crewed space flight program. He became one of the “Original Seven” selected for the mission. He eventually became the only astronaut to fly in all three of the early US crewed spaceflight programs - Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. In 1969, Schirra left NASA Astronaut Corps after the Apollo launch and also retired from the US Navy as a rank of Captain.
Schirra settled into retirement in Rancho Santa Fe, CA and remained in San Diego until his passing in May of 2007.
#ranchosantafe #lilianrice #laflechahouse #historicalsociety #rsfhs #rsfhistoricalsociety #history #northcounty #sandiego #rsfarchives
Rancho Santa Fe Legends ~
Walter Schirra, Jr., born March 12, 1923 in Hackensack, NJ. He was commonly known as “Wally”, and began flying at just thirteen years-old.
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Schirra was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy on June 6, 1945. Schirra served during the final months of World War II aboard the large cruiser USS Alaska.
Schirra received his naval aviator wings in 1948 and joined Fighter Squadron 71 (VF-71) at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. He spent the next ten years flying various missions for the US Navy.
From 1959 to 1969, Walter Schirra, Jr. had an impressive career with NASA. At the start, he was one of 110 military test pilots for the newly formed NASA Project Mercury, the first US-crewed space flight program. He became one of the “Original Seven” selected for the mission. He eventually became the only astronaut to fly in all three of the early US crewed spaceflight programs - Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. In 1969, Schirra left NASA Astronaut Corps after the Apollo launch and also retired from the US Navy as a rank of Captain.
Schirra settled into retirement in Rancho Santa Fe, CA and remained in San Diego until his passing in May of 2007.
#ranchosantafe #lilianrice #laflechahouse #historicalsociety #rsfhs #rsfhistoricalsociety #history #northcounty #sandiego #rsfarchives
