By Den Ardinger 32° KCCH

Walter Marty Schirra, Jr., was bornMarch 12, 1923,in Hackensack, New Jersey.  He was the son of Walter Marty Schirra (1893-1973) and his wife, Florence Shillito Leach.   His father was an aviator with the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War I and flew combat missions bombing Germany. After the war, both his father and mother flew barnstorming stunts for county fairs.  Because of his parents’ interest in aviation, he began flying at the age of 13. 

After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in June 1945.  He then served at sea as a U.S. Naval Officer until the end of World War II aboard the cruiser USS Alaska.  In 1946, he married Josephine “Jo” Fraser, and they had two children together.

In 1948, he trained as a Naval Aviator.  When the Korean War broke out in 1950, he volunteered for an exchange program with the U.S. Air Force and cross trained to fly F-84 jets.

During the Korean War, he flew 90 air combat missions in F-84E jets with the 154th Fighter Bomber Squadron.  Most of his missions were for the support of ground troops but he did shoot down two Mig fighters in air combat.   

After completing his tour of duty in Korea, he became a test pilot at Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake in California.  Here he learned to fly a variety of high-performance jet aircraft.  Among his numerous projects was becoming the first pilot to fly with and fire a Sidewinder air to air missile. 

In 1959, out of 500 applicants, he was chosen as one of the original seven Mercury astronauts.  He flew his first mission in space aboard Sigma 7 atop an Atlas 8 on October 3, 1962. During this flight, he orbited the Earth six times. 

On December 16, 1965, he was the Command Pilot of Gemini VI along with astronaut Thomas P. Stafford.  This was the first mission to make a rendezvous in space.  They maneuvered to within one foot of Gemini 7 that was launched eleven days after they were.  Gemini VI returned to Earth the following day.

In October 1968, he flew on Apollo 7 which made him the only one of the original astronauts to fly in all three projects: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.  On this Apollo mission, he flew 163 orbits with Donn Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham.  The crew tested all its guidance and control systems along with restarting the engines in preparation for future Apollo lunar missions.

On July 1, 1969, Schirra retired from the Navy and NASA at the rank of Captain and went into private industry.  He had flown 295 hours and 15 minutes in space and was the first human to fly into space three times.

Wally became a Freemason and was a member of Canaveral Lodge #339 in Cocoa Beach, Florida.  He was also a Shriner and a member of Bahia Shrine in Orlando.  His application is proudly displayed in Orlando in a glass case along with the applications of astronauts Gordon Cooper and Gus Grissom.  He was also a 33° Scottish Rite Inspector General Honorary Mason.

His medals and awards are legendary and include numerous medals from World War II and Korea.  Among his awards are the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, three NASA Distinguished Service Medals, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.  His civilian awards include the Robert J. Collier Trophy in 1962 and the Ivan C. Kincheloe Award in 1963. 

Schirra received three Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Science from universities and colleges.  He was inducted into numerous Halls of Fame including the International Air and Space Hall of Fame in 1970, National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor in 2000.

Wally Schirra died of a heart attack in La Jolla, California on May 7, 2007.  He was 84 years old.  Hi wife, Jo Schirra, died April 27, 2015, at the age of 91.

Wally Schirra, more than a man, a 33° Scottish Rite Mason.