Rocket Men

In 1948 the military was discussing how to test some rockets.  They wanted to use the Zillah Bombing Range for it.   They did not end up using the Zillah Range, but I now have located a small map that shows its approximate location.  I have just purchased a book that is only tenuously related.  But I think you will be interested.

I recently stopped by Costco with the intent of getting groceries, but I passed by their books and found one I thought I might like.  Let me just say, I have only just begun to read it, but I am engrossed!  It starts with a description of the Saturn V, the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center, and the Crawler...which has continued past its use with the Saturn V to moving the Shuttle around.  

The book then moves into a surprisingly interesting look at the hierarchy of NASA and how the planning for the entire Apollo 11 mission was conducted.  

Can I just say, I cannot wait to read the rest?  Oh, and I chose this book to try "monetizing" this site.  I hope you don't mind.  If you decide to buy the book, I would appreciate it if you would do it through this site, since I may get a kick back from it.  Mind you, I would review this book as awesome either way.  Whether I was able to monetize the site or not.  I think most readers will enjoy this book...if you enjoy my site, you'll probably be interested in the book.  Enough said.

So, I never did let you all in on my trip to the Yakima Firing Center.  I traveled to a nearby gas station and met my ride.  We got through the gates with no problem as I was his guest.  We then switched vehicles and proceeded out to the range to try an locate #42-54295.  

#42-54295 was an RA-24B...or the Army's version of the SBD Dauntless.  This particular one was used to tow targets for the 40mm Bofor's range.  I found pictures of some of 42-54295's siblings and it looks as though they were all used in the South Pacific for a time.  They were withdrawn from combat to service in the states because they were slow and lightly armed.  

The story of 54295 will be written up in the near future.  I had hoped to have photographic proof of me finding the site, though.

On this particular outing, though, we hiked around several acres looking for the remains of a crash.  All we found were some machine gun bullets and some used smoke grenades.  

   We hiked around for a couple hours with few other discoveries.  Still, the entire time we were there, some Strykers were firing their 105mm canon.  BOOM!!!!  and a couple minutes later- BOOM!!!!  It was awesome!

not my photo, borrowed this from the globalsecurity.org site.

We also viewed from a great distance, the area where F-104C #57-912 came to rest.  Unfortunately, it was within the Main Impact Zone...no walking among potentially unexploded ordnance.  I don't mind keeping all my limbs, so I did not complain.

Still, the bonus was to drive by three Hummers that had .50 caliber machine guns mounted on their tops...they were firing!!!!!!  BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!!!!!!!!  It was AWESOME!!

Below are some C-rations that had been left behind who knows how many decades ago.

We also happened upon this gentle soul.

I have an invitation to go out and try to locate another site sometime soon...I hope to take him up on this invitation as soon as I get the accident report.

January 28, 1986

Twenty-four years ago, I sat in my sixth grade classroom. We were not in class very long before Mr. McKay wheeled in a TV and we began watching the truly memorable event on the news (This was long before our school had CNN). What we saw were the early moments of a NASA shuttle launch, something we had all grown used to. In fact my first grade teacher had made sure that we watched the first Shuttle take-off. I remembered the white fuel tank from that mission and did not understand the orange of the fuel tank on this one.

Then, as we watched, something around 28 pairs of eyes did not blink as the voices on the screen talked. Finally they said the words I will never forget: "Challenger, go with throttle up." at that moment, the orbiter, now many miles downrange, but still visible on the television screen, disappeared into a strange puffy cloud from which emerged, a half second later, the solid rocket boosters. They continued in oddly stable paths across the sky.

I will never forget that day. I don't remember how long we watched it, but I think we did eventually get on with lessons that day. I never liked Mr. McKay much, I thought he picked on me. I know better now. I am glad he wheeled that big old TV in and let us watch the event. It was something I doubt I will ever forget.

Then, seventeen years later, on a February morning almost to the day, the Space shuttle Columbia fell Earthward. I was living in Northern California at the time, and had I been awake, I may have seen the incoming orbiter as it raced through the atmosphere. Its path was not far from our area. At the time our alarm played the radio to wake us up. The voices brought us from our sleep with the words that everyone would remember this day. I don't know if my Columbia memory will ever have the same clarity that I have for Challenger, but I hope we all take a glance at the sky today to remember all those astronauts who have given their lives today.

40 years.

Forty years ago, three men were on their voyage to the Moon. They travelled as far as men ever have been from their planet. The Saturn V was huge! Their journey began on July 16, 1969, when they blasted off and into history.

On July 20, two of these men landed upon the Moon and left several experiments and took samples. Take a few minutes this week and think about what these men did. But, also remember there were hundreds of thousands of men and women behind this venture. People working in factories all over the US built parts of these craft. Hundreds monitored their progress and health. Millions watched them on TV, or listened to the radio as they made the first steps man has ever made on a another world.

Why haven't we returned!?