Bob Fish

Power to The People

October 13, 2019 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

Many homeowners in the San Ramon Valley are looking for ways to gain more control over our environment (knowing full well one big earthquake proves the word “control” to be relative).

Our monthly utility bills are all increasing in mysterious ways, and there is no end in sight. Use too much water, and our bill goes up! Use too little water, and our bill goes up!

We also worry about the ongoing availability of other critical resources such as electricity, upon which we are dependent for lighting, heating, and cooling the home, as well as for operating appliances, computers, electronics, machinery, and our EV cars. When there is no electricity – home life grinds to a halt.

In the past, we experienced a few brownouts on summer afternoons when the consumer peak demand on PG&E was greater than their supply of electricity. These rolling brownouts were certainly inconvenient, but they usually didn’t last more than an hour or two. But a completely new issue has now altered that equation.

Many of the recent devastating wildfires in northern California were caused by failures of electric grid equipment, especially on hot, windy days in the fall when hillside vegetation is dried-out from lack of water (and is referred to ominously as “fuel load” by firefighters).

One of the tools PG&E has now implemented for preventing these destructive wildfires is to pre-emptively de-energize certain power lines when weather conditions create an elevated risk of fire. This program is called Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) and is intended to prevent failures of their equipment from sparking a fire. Much more information can be found at the PG&E PSPS website.

Homeowners (and renters) will be dealing with these pre-emptive power outages for many years. The residents of Lafayette experienced a multi-day outage in June and it was not a joyful three-day experience. Professionals in many industries work from home, so this power outage affected not only the contents of their refrigerator and wine chiller but their financial livelihood as well. There will be more as the autumn weather brings the dry Santa Ana winds to the Bay Area and they can be lengthy.

This new multi-day loss of power is just not something homeowners can put up with!

So, you might say, why should we in San Ramon Valley care about this? In 2012, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) developed a statewide map designed to identify areas where there is an increased risk for utility-associated wildfires. Two-thirds of our Contra Costa County communities fall within the “high fire danger” areas – Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, Rossmoor, and Moraga among them.

As an interesting side note, the high wind conditions may be 20 miles away from our community, but if the transmission lines run through that area, local homes may lose their power. For instance, the primary power feed line for Rossmoor and Moraga originates near Antioch and runs across the northern slopes of Mt. Diablo. When the winds get too high on the mountain, those communities could be left in the dark.

The good news is, we actually can gain a measure of control over our destiny. The technology exists to mitigate these power outages and other natural disasters that might knock out power to the home. And, given the value of our homes, family livelihoods, and work income, it’s relatively inexpensive.

All of us understand the general value proposition of a battery. We use them every day to start cars, run our laptop computers, cell phones, smart watches, and keep various home appliances working when there is a power failure. For many years, Lithium-Ion batteries have been the key power source for consumer portable electronics and electric vehicles and they are growing in popularity for military and aerospace applications

Modern “home battery backup” systems apply this power-on-demand capability and employ software intelligence for monitoring and customization. When used in conjunction with solar panels on the home, they are often referred to as “solar battery storage.” These current state-of-the-art systems use the highly efficient and rechargeable Li-Ion technology, which has a useful life of approximately 10 years. Right now, the cost of an entry-level “home battery backup” system is about $8,000 per installation, which is on par with the cost of replacing just the wines in many home cellars after a single lengthy power outage. As more systems are sold, the price will drop.

These batteries can be installed stand-alone (i.e., without solar panels on the roof). In this case, they are charged from the PG&E grid during off-peak rate hours and then used to handle on-peak demand or as backup systems when there is a grid outage. A basic “home battery backup” system provides roughly eight hours of power, enough to bridge a typical single-family home across most power outages (if one doesn’t run the clothes dryer). More batteries can be added to provide additional storage. Charging the battery only during off-peak hours will modestly reduce the monthly electric bill.

A more robust solution is using battery packs in conjunction with home solar energy panels, in which case the batteries are charged by the solar panels during the day. The entire “solar + storage” system can be customized to meet each homeowner’s energy footprint, and easily modified when the family goes on vacation. The result is a spectacular improvement in the home’s energy resilience to outages.

Other benefits of installing one of these intelligent systems extend far beyond just mitigating the effects of PG&E pre-emptive power outages and other power disruptions caused by natural disasters.

The home is now using stored solar power at night when the sun is down, virtually doubling the value of the rooftop solar panels. If a wildfire does break out, family safety will dramatically improve. The home wifi will continue running and able to receive those critical emergency response updates or evacuation orders. At night, the lights will be on and the garage door will still work, allowing the family to escape in an orderly manner. The batteries will continue to recharge from the solar panels throughout the entire outage period keeping basic home appliances in operation.

Those who use the solar battery storage option in conjunction with solar panels will see a significant drop in their monthly bills, often enough to recoup the cost of the battery system in seven years. With enough solar panels on the roof, homeowners can virtually eliminate their reliance on PG&E, a regulated monopoly with an antiquated and non-resilient energy transmission infrastructure. As they modernize their grid in the decade ahead, rates and outages will only be going one way—up!

And better, for those who want to do their part in reducing carbon emissions and reversing global warming, the widespread adoption of home solar + storage systems will dramatically advance California’s world leadership agenda of becoming a carbon-neutral environment by 2045.

In the near future, when the CPUC and California legislature become aware of this significant and cost-effective technology, all new California homes will be built with an integrated “solar + storage” system, adding great resilience to the entire statewide power grid.

But for right now, this is a perfect solution to the PSPS wildfire prevention issue.

Power to the people!

Apollo 11 50th Anniversary

June 11, 2019 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”

Fifty years ago this month, those immortal words from Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong were heard by hundreds of millions of awestruck earthlings, roughly 240,000 miles away. And they echoed throughout human history.

Since the beginning of homo-sapiens, man has looked up to the night sky and mused about the pure white light from the Moon. It’s periodically changing shape and brightness has long-fascinated hunters, farmers, and gatherers. Its regular monthly cycle became the first clock by which humans measured the passage of time. Certain aspects of the lunar cycle steadfastly marked the arrival of special activities, such as the start of harvest season. The gravitational pull of the Moon on our oceans creates tides, by which ancient mariners would schedule their voyages. Occasionally, it almost looks as if one could touch it. In some ways, the Moon has become an extension of the human psyche, like the mountains and oceans here on Earth.

The study of celestial objects, astronomy, is the oldest of our recognized sciences. World famous scientists, such as Galileo and Kepler, improved crude telescopes so they could view the Moon more intimately and study its various mountains, craters, and plains in detail. The invention of the telescope greatly expanded the human study of the cosmos.

But, our Moon, remained vexingly beyond our physical grasp…

That is, until the Cold War, when rocket technology was in its formative stages. The Soviet Union and the United States decided that space was both a strategic national security frontier and an ideal environment in which to showcase technological superiority to the rest of the world. The Soviets staked the first claim in October 1957 by placing a small satellite called Sputnik into orbit around the Earth.

The first man-made object to reach the Moon was also Soviet—the unmanned probe Luna 2, which was purposefully crashed on the Moon’s surface in September 1959. This was followed by numerous probes from both the Soviet Union and the United States doing flybys, orbits, and controlled crashes with many failures along the way.

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy ignited a dramatic expansion of the great Moon race of the 1960s. In a televised speech to Congress, he proposed the U.S. “should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

Both the Soviet and U.S. space agencies had been focusing their efforts on unmanned probes and robot landers. Now the entire game had changed—humans were going to the Moon instead!

Finally, in February 1966, the USSR unmanned Luna 9 successfully made the first soft landing on the Moon and transmitted photographic data back to Earth. Four months later, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) unmanned Surveyor 1 made the first U.S. soft landing and gathered data about the lunar surface for the upcoming Apollo landings.

For various reasons, the U.S.S.R. manned spaceflight program then ran into many rocket delays and launch failures, although their unmanned programs kept moving forward.

After two NASA lunar orbital flights—Apollo 8, in December, 1968, and Apollo 10, in May, 1969—the entire world anxiously anticipated the flight of Apollo 11.

On July 16, 1969, a mighty Saturn V rocket launched the Apollo 11 mission from Kennedy Space Center with three astronauts inside the command module. The Mission Commander was Neil Armstrong, the Lunar Module Pilot was Buzz Aldrin, and the Command Module Pilot was Michael Collins.

July 16, 1969, the largest rocket ever–the Saturn V–blasts off from Cape Kennedy, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the moon.

Following a three-day translunar flight, the command module Columbia was guided into lunar orbit. After several hours, the lunar module Eagle separated from the main spacecraft with Armstrong and Aldrin inside, and descended to the Moon’s surface. The LM was the very first true spacecraft, designed to fly in the vacuum of space, not in Earth’s atmosphere.

Buzz Aldrin salutes our Flag at “Tranquility Base,” Moon.

The Eagle landed very near to the planned target point in the Sea of Tranquility. That’s when Armstrong radioed to NASA mission control in Houston “The Eagle has landed.” Hundreds of millions of TV viewers were momentarily “welded together as one mind” in the collective awe of having a human finally being on the surface of the Moon.

After a few hours of rest, both astronauts dressed in their space suits. Armstrong exited the LM first, slowly descending a ladder. After making the three-foot jump from the bottom step to the Moon’s surface he uttered “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin near the Seismic Instrument Package with the Lunar Module (LM), “Eagle,” and US flag in the background, Tranquility Base, Moon.

Twenty minutes later, Aldrin carefully crawled across the “porch” of the LM and descended the ladder to join Armstrong on the surface. During their moonwalk of two and a half hours, they set up several experiments, planted an American flag, collected Moon rocks and soil samples, took many photographs, and provided verbal descriptions of surface features. Most of this activity was watched on live black and white TV back on Earth.

Buzz Aldrin near one of the four footpads of “The Eagle,” Lunar Module.

When the lunar surface Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) plan had been completed, they re-entered the LM with 48 pounds of lunar rocks (Earth weight) and prepared to blast off to rendezvous with Collins, who had orbited the Moon alone 25 times in the command module Columbia.

The ascent stage (top half) of the Eagle, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin from the lunar surface, preparing to dock with the Command Module, “Columbia,” and CM pilot Michael Collins. Collins was orbiting the moon while Neil and Buzz explored the surface.

A few hours later, all the three astronauts were together again and their spacecraft headed back to Earth using a gravity-assisted return trajectory.

On July 24, the spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Johnston Island. The WWII-era aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CVS-12) flawlessly recovered the spacecraft and its three-man crew. Using a formal NASA quarantine protocol to prevent potential moon germs from getting into the Earth’s biosphere, the astronauts exited their spacecraft wearing special biological isolation garments. The outside of these suits were then wiped down by a Navy UDT swimmer using a bleach solution.

After being flown back to the Hornet by helicopter, the astronauts were ensconced in a unique NASA trailer called a Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) where they changed into flight suits. An hour later, from inside the MQF, the three astronauts chatted with President Richard Nixon who welcomed them back to Earth. This was the only time a President had ever been physically present for a spacecraft recovery at sea. The ceremony was broadcast live to 500 million TV viewers worldwide!

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin onboard the USS Hornet in 2009 for “Splashdown 40,” holding the July 2009 Commemorative Edition of ALIVE, and his book, “Magnificent Desolation.”

The Apollo 11 lunar landing mission is considered the greatest scientific achievement in the history of mankind. While earthlings will inevitably go back to the Moon and on to Mars and beyond, we will forever be standing on the shoulders of the vast Apollo program team. This is estimated to have consisted of 400,000 people – NASA employees, university professors and students, commercial contractors and parts suppliers—not to mention the American taxpayers who footed the $25 billion cost!

From July 16 to 24, the USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum will be joining the Smithsonian Institution, NASA, the Navy and other organizations in commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. More information about the public Splashdown 50 event can be found at https://uss-hornet.org/splashdown50

5G: Good, Bad, Ugly?

April 7, 2019 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

The Price of Progress: Is High Speed Cellular Worth it?

Many years ago, I was working on an advanced government project using NeXT computers. CEO Steve Jobs was personally involved because, well, we were inventing the future. During one of our discussions, the subject of placing technology into the hands of ordinary people became the topic. We both agreed that information technology, such as personal computers and the Internet, was a valuable productivity enhancement tool for the masses, but not a lifestyle.

Since then, the line between the two has not only blurred but, in the minds of younger generations, vanished completely. It is commonplace for people to visit exotic worldwide “bucket list” places or perform dangerous activities with the selfie stick in hand simply to gain a few “likes” on their social media accounts. One cannot drive from Danville to Walnut Creek on I-680 without seeing numerous drivers distracted by their mobile devices unaware of the traffic situation around them. And any San Ramon Valley restaurant, on any given day, includes parents glued to their cell phones while their children are being assimilated into their tablets by playing games.

This is not utilizing the cell phone as a productivity tool – this is lifestyle problem. Too many people are living in the virtual world of Instagram and Facebook and not participating in the real world, socializing face-to-face with others or working together to solve a problem or build a team.

Additionally, the health hazards to children under the age of 18 and addicted to cell phones or tablets are coming into focus as the “mobile device” generation ages. Many studies have been done and many warnings rendered, but without much affect yet.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the largest US medical association of pediatricians and pediatric specialists, recommends that the US government tighten wireless exposure limits and that the public reduce children’s exposure to cell phones and other devices that emit wireless radiation. How many of us have taken heed of this warning? A quick glance around a crowded restaurant provides the answer – not many.

And, unfortunately, this Electro Magnetic Radiation (EMR) exposure issue is about to become much worse if the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has its way.

The Cellular Telephone Industry Association (CTIA) and the FCC have joined forces to aggressively deploy a new nationwide high-speed wireless network system. It’s commonly known as 5G or the fifth generation of cellular networking and billed as the next step in the evolution of wireless mobile communications. Except it’s not… it’s a giant leap into the non-mobile environment such as industrial areas, business office parks, urban areas and even your neighborhood!

ASHDOD, ISR – SEP 14:Cellular antenna in public area on Sep 14 2010.Cell phone companies around the worls assert that cell phone towers don’t pose health risks to the public.

CTIA and wireless telephony companies, such as ATT, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile are working rapidly to bypass the fiber optics and cable technologies we currently use to connect our homes to the internet. Rather than just having faster smartphones, however, the 5G speeds (4 times faster than today’s 4G cellular systems) may eventually let people download entire movies within seconds and enable other applications including industrial robots, security cameras, drones and cars that send traffic data to one another. What the wireless industry touts as a totally interconnected future with broad coverage, high speeds and low latency.

Sounds great. But, as with anything, the devil is in the details.

In fact, to achieve these higher speeds, the 4G and 5G microwave antennas must be placed in very close proximity to the source – and by that, I mean next to your home. With the collusion of the FCC, Verizon and other carriers plan to scatter these antennas across all our East Bay towns and communities, with large numbers being planted in our neighborhoods. To achieve this goal quickly, before homeowners, health advocates and parents understand what is happening to them, the FCC has overridden the power invested in local authorities to maintain proper community environmental ordinances, such as our Town Councils and even Home Owners Associations.

The FCC has usurped local authority to enable wireless carriers to mount these RF radiation emitting antennas on existing town-owned right-of-way structures currently used for street lights in neighborhoods, utility poles in downtown areas, and traffic light poles on streets. The carriers benignly refer to these antennas as “small cells” – but are they more accurately described as “close proximity microwave radiation antennas” or “radiation beacons.” They will be emitting RF radiation energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, basically microwave-blasting our homes from close proximity. Think of a giant WiFi router sitting on the street light in front of your house.

But, the FCC has also decreed that public health cannot be considered in the antenna permit approval and location process! If a telephone company thinks your front yard is the perfect place for one of their “radiation beacons,” the odds are it’s going to be approved. In neighborhoods where this network has already begun to roll out, homes located near one of the so called “small cell” sites have suffered up to 20% loss in value.

Worse, those initial close proximity antennas that currently use 4G RF technology will be upgraded to 5G in a year or two, using an even more harmful type of radiation called millimeter wave (mmW). It is such a new technology that few scientific studies have been done in regards to long term effects on humans. However, the US military studied this part of the frequency spectrum and created a weapon out of it called SS-ADT to inflict pain on the enemy.

In 2011, an evaluation group of 30 experts at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (World Health Organization) classified all radiofrequency emissions – including parts of 5G – as potential carcinogens. In the group’s findings are warnings such as “the 5G millimeter-waves were never tested for human health hazard and there are only a very limited number of studies on biological effects. In practice, we do not know what the health effects of long-term and close proximity exposures might be.”

The medical and health industries are extremely concerned about the cumulative effects of long term exposure to this level of radiation, especially with children being the most vulnerable. The recent cancer cluster of children in Ripon, CA revolves around a cell tower that was placed on the Weston Elementary School grounds a few years ago. Our children should not have to fight cancer while they are attending elementary school.

Once deployed, it will not be possible to avoid 5G mmW radiation exposure … our environment will be saturated with low-power millimeter-waves in order for 5G to perform correctly. As a real world example of this, one only need look at Orinda. Several community activists in this bucolic village recently engaged in a battle with Verizon over their desire to blanket the community with these benignly labelled 5G “small cells.” The Verizon plan calls for placing 87 antennas across the town. Not only will there be aesthetic blight, making Orinda look like an industrial park, but all the citizens will be exposed to a new kind of pollution referred to as “electrosmog” every day of their life.

Can it get worse? Yes. Also due to the FCC mandating “equal access to markets” for all wireless carriers, there are three more companies waiting to put up “small cells” and towers after Verizon gets its nose under the camel’s tent. So Orinda citizens could easily see 325 of these radiation beacons lining the town streets and neighborhood roads in a few years. If you ever wondered what it was like to crawl inside your microwave oven, just sit on a park bench in downtown Orinda in May of 2021.

Airport full-body scanner, sign and monitor view.

What can we do to protect the health of our children and the aesthetic appeal of our neighborhoods? Right now, there are Bay Area advocacy groups like Scientists for Wired Technology and EMF Safety Network that are great sources of information. Within our communities are local groups such as Danville Citizens for Responsible Growth (DCRG) that attend town hall meetings, petition for denial of “small cell” permits and keep track of local developments.

But these groups can only hope to slow down this tide of radiation blight. It is vitally important that all concerned citizens contact our Federal elected officials—Senators and Congressional Representatives—and demand that control over deployment of these potentially harmful radiation beacons be taken away from the FCC and delegated back to the local communities. No one knows how to maintain our small town atmosphere better that the residents who choose to live there.

First Man – Great Human

October 11, 2018 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

A major motion picture will soon be playing in theaters nationwide called First Man. It is a biopic about Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon. Teenage heart throb Ryan Gosling plays the role of Neil, and early movie critic evaluations indicate he did a reasonably good job of it.

For those of us who were alive in 1969, the name Neil Armstrong has a particularly poignant cache. We’d gone through the turmoil of 1968 with its political assassinations, race riots, a huge federal debt, and a nation divided about the war in Vietnam. But, we were winning the great “space race to the moon” against the Soviet Union! It was a truly bright light in an otherwise bleak environment. Americans had a great sense of pride in watching NASA send humans on space missions longer and farther than ever before.

In January, 1969, Richard Nixon became president of the United States. Whether his legacy will eventually transcend the Watergate debacle is unknown, but one image from a single moment in his life will always be indelibly etched in human consciousness. He was the Commander in Chief when the United States fulfilled President John Kennedy’s 1961 challenge to “land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth.” That man was Neil Armstrong.

President Nixon was onboard the recovery ship USS Hornet when the Apollo 11 spacecraft (Columbia) splashed down in the central Pacific Ocean early in the morning of July 24, 1969 and bent the arc of human history. The President’s banter with the astronauts in their quarantine facility was broadcast worldwide on live TV and eagerly watched by 500 million earthlings.

I was once told by Admiral Charles B. Larson, Nixon’s White House Naval Attaché at that time, that it was the happiest hour of Nixon’s entire presidency. The President, a naval officer who served in the South Pacific during WWII, was ecstatic at being onboard a Navy ship at sea, smelling the salt air, chatting with the sailors, and participating in one of the greatest scientific achievements in history.

But, let’s get back to Neil Armstrong. I was writing a book in 2008 about the splashdown and recovery of Apollo 11 entitled Hornet Plus Three. This was a motto created by the Hornet’s commanding officer, Captain Carl Seiberlich. He wanted the entire ship’s complement, plus three astronauts, to return safely to Pearl Harbor, echoing JFK’s 1961 challenge.

Now, media critics claim Neil was “aloof” and “unresponsive” to their inquiries. But I emailed him anyway about a technical flight issue. NASA had always said the rocket (S-IVB for those who care) that placed the Apollo 11 command module into lunar orbit was fired over Australia. I was able to prove, beyond a shadow of doubt, that it was fired over the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific.

Neil was enthralled at this discovery. At heart, he was true mid-westerner who loved the challenge of solving problems and coming up with new solutions. He emailed me back, said my information was a true revelation and asked if I needed any help with my book. He felt the Navy’s side of the Apollo 11 recovery program had never been adequately told and wanted the record set straight.

Whether flying US Navy jets in combat missions from the USS Essex over Korea (78 times), or being a test pilot for the X-15 flying at Mach 3 in Southern California, or trying to salvage the Gemini 8 flight after a sudden and dangerous spacecraft malfunction, Neil always lived “in the moment” when flying, solving complex problems in just seconds. The USAF calls this decision making process an OODA loop – observe, orient, decide and act. Danville’s own Sully Sullenberger and Neil Armstrong share some common DNA when it comes to OODA!

Neil and I had several candid conversations and email exchanges over a six year period before he passed away. Once, I asked him about the moment when the guidance computer in the lunar module Eagle became overloaded shortly before they would have landed on the moon. The LM was running very low on fuel, with less than a minute left until mission abort. Worse, Neil could see boulders and craters dotting the area where the LM was headed. Neil decisively took manual control of the spacecraft, which he had never piloted before, extended the “runway” beyond the boulder field and set it down gently. He told me it was no big deal; that landing a Navy fighter jet at 125mph on an aircraft carrier at sea was far more intense!

Beginning with his walk on the moon, the world media elevated him to super hero status. He had to cope with the curse of worldwide fame for the rest of his life. He could have cashed in and made a fortune from it, but didn’t. In reality, he was a salt-of-the-earth human, with strong mid-western values, who was passionate about flying. He never failed to mention that 400,000 NASA employees and contractors made it possible for him to take that “one small step for a man” onto the moon’s surface.

I have been privileged to see this humility up close. Because of the Apollo 11 exhibit at the USS Hornet Museum, and my book Hornet Plus Three, Neil requested my wife and I to join members of the Apollo 11 recovery team at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in November of 2011 at our nations’ Capitol in Washington, DC.

I have not seen the movie First Man. But if it comes close to reflecting the true character of Neil Armstrong, it should be an Academy Award winner.

Farewell Apollo 12 Team

July 9, 2018 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

The first lunar landing flight—Apollo 11—was a momentous achievement in the history of humanity. Astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins will forever be remembered for their courage and tenacity in executing this historic event. Apollo 11 was a serious and focused mission, fulfilling President Kennedy’s challenge to land a man on the moon during the 1960s.

However, my favorite lunar landing was the second one—Apollo 12—performed just four months after the first. The flight crew was an “All Navy” team, the only Apollo mission whose members were from the same branch of the military. Charles “Pete” Conrad was the Mission Commander, Richard “Dick” Gordon was the Command Module Pilot and Alan Bean was the Lunar Module Pilot. All of them had been naval aviators and test pilots before they joined NASA with a honed sense of accomplishing risky missions. They had a high level of comradery and trust in each other well before being assigned as the Apollo 12 flight team.

Their personalities, however, helped make the Apollo 12 flight significantly different than Apollo 11. Of course, as test pilots, they shared a common acceptance of taking risks and making lightening quick, but calculated, decisions.

But Pete had an irrepressible sense of humor and a passion for flying anything he could get into. Dick enjoyed living life to the fullest extent possible with a motto of “work hard, play hard.” Alan was the cerebral one, with a scientific mindset. His intimate technical knowledge of the Apollo Command Module saved the mission after it was struck by lightning upon liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. But he also had an artistic flair, with an eye for inspired composition.

The Apollo 11 mission was simple–find any acceptable level spot on the moon and park on it. The Apollo 12 flight plan, however, called for trying to make a pin-point landing near an unmanned American reconnaissance spacecraft called Surveyor 3, which had landed in the Ocean of Storms two years earlier.

After three days and 250,000 miles of travel, the Lunar Module (LM) detached from the Command Module in orbit around the moon. Pete and Alan began their decent to the lunar surface. Despite the fact he’d never before flown this spacecraft, Pete flew it by hand rather than by computer and landed only 600 feet from Surveyor 3! Just as a good naval aviator would hit the “3 wire” when making a landing on aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. Fly Navy!

On November 19, 1969, Pete and Alan became the third and fourth humans to walk on the moon. Pete’s most famously remembered comment occurred when he descended the LM ladder onto the moon. The last step was a tall one (roughly 3 feet) and Pete was only 5’6” in height. After jumping down onto the foot of the lander, Pete exclaimed, “Whoopee! That may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for me!” The rest of their two moon walks included dancing, jokes, and laughs, and humming a tune while plucking the camera off the Surveyor to bring back to earth.

Upon their return to earth, they splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, narrowly missing their recovery ship, the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CVS-12). NASA folks were glad the Apollo command module was not equipped with a tail hook, or Pete would have tried to catch that 3 wire!

The hijinks continued, even though they were world heroes. The annual Army-Navy college football game was held a few days after their return. The astronauts proclaimed their bias by writing a sign and holding it up to the back window of the moon germ quarantine trailer onboard the Hornet.

For me, what was special about the Apollo 12 team was their humanness. They weren’t robots or rocket scientists; just everyday people (well, with the “right stuff” of course). They worked hard at their jobs and accomplished their missions as a team. But then they enjoyed life too. This group gave generations of youngsters hope that they too might go into space someday.

Alan Bean became a highly acclaimed space artist. Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon both worked to help open up space travel by privatizing it. They laid the ground work for space exploration companies like Virgin Galactic and SpaceX.

Pete died in 1999, while driving a motorcycle thru southern California near Ojai (a perfect ending for an “always on the go” type of guy, if there ever is such a thing). Dick Gordon passed away in November of 2017, just months after his loving wife died. Alan Bean left us just a few weeks ago, during Memorial Day weekend.

In 2004, Alan was the featured speaker at the Hornet Museum commemoration of the 35^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 and 12 flights. While waiting to introduce him, we chatted for a while. I asked him what he now thought about having walked on the moon. He immediately answered, “The worst day on earth is better than the best day on the moon. There is no atmosphere, no wind, no trees, no plants, no living creatures, and no water. Like Antarctica, it’s a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there.”

Food for thought while we consider ideas and plans about the colonization of the moon or Mars!

As the flight crew of Apollo 12 soars into the heavens for eternity, we wish you “fair winds and following seas.”

Man in Space Update

June 9, 2018 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

It’s been 50 years since humans first travelled to the moon. The impact of that Apollo 8 mission continues to reverberate to this day. While orbiting the moon, astronaut Bill Anders took an iconic photo of the Earth rising over the lunar surface. This amazing photo has had a deep impact on humanity ever since, inspiring widespread environmental awareness and spawning many activities such as Earth Day.

Our nation’s manned space exploration community was very active and engaged from the Mercury program in 1961 through the end of the space shuttle program in 2011. The engine that ignited and drove this five decade flurry of activity was the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. But the American spirit for exploration was the fuel that generated such great success. Our willingness to take steps into the unknown, and accepting the associated risks, culminated in the Apollo lunar landing and space shuttle programs. Both are technological feats that have yet to be matched by any other nation 50 years later!

Unfortunately, for the past few years, American progress in human space exploration has largely been stuck in the planning stages. The occasional flight to and from the Earth orbiting International Space Station (ISS) to swap astronauts is all that kept the “flight torch” shining brightly. Ironically, these flights were launched from, and landed in, Russia.

However, significant recent advances have been made by NASA and a number of private companies, such as SpaceX, Boeing, and Bigelow Aerospace.

In February, SpaceX launched its first Falcon Heavy rocket with an automobile-sized payload destined to arrive at Mars in the distant future. SpaceX has also garnered public attention with their Dragon spacecraft, which was designed to deliver both cargo and astronauts to the ISS. Dragon made history in 2012 when it became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the ISS and return cargo back to Earth. SpaceX is now refining the spacecraft to enable it to safely carry humans to and from the ISS. The first manned test flight of Dragon may take place later this year.

But NASA has also been very busy the past few years too. They’ve created a blue print exploration program called Journey to Mars, with a goal of sending humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s. As part of this program, several autonomous orbiters, landers, and rovers have already landed on the surface of Mars, or are exploring it from Martian orbit. They have sent an amazing array of information back to scientists and researchers.

One of the critical components of the manned aspect of this program is the Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle (MPCV). Orion is the part of the spacecraft that holds up to six astronauts and research equipment, basically a bigger and more sophisticated version of the Apollo command modules. In the past four years, NASA subjected Orion to a battery of tests designed to ensure the spacecraft can safely ferry humans into orbit and on deep space missions.

Orion is designed with a heat shield that can withstand temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it reenters the atmosphere. Once the capsule slows from 25,000 miles an hour to “only” 300 miles an hour, it will deploy parachutes and splash down in the ocean where naval ships will be waiting for it.

After NASA’s first unmanned Orion orbital test flight in 2014 (known as EFT-1), a team of NASA and Navy specialists recovered the spaceship off the coast of San Diego, simulating what would happen when a deep space mission splashed down on Earth. The Navy ship used in the recovery was the USS Anchorage (LPD-23), an amphibious transport ship.

In late 2019, NASA plans to launch an unmanned Orion flight on its powerful new rocket, the Space Launch System, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Exploration Mission 1 (known as EM-1), is slated to launch in December 2019, but that date could get pushed back into the following year.

This first mission will carry the unmanned spacecraft thousands of miles beyond the moon on a three week journey. Roughly two years later, astronauts will climb into an Orion capsule for a similar mission, traveling farther away from Earth than humans have ever traveled before.
Later in the 2020s, NASA is considering sending astronauts on a yearlong mission into this same deep space proving ground, verifying habitation and testing their readiness for a mission to Mars.

The USS Hornet Museum is one Bay Area institution that is very excited about the next decade of space travel. During the great moon race of the 1960s, all manned spaceflights ended by parachuting into the ocean. Water landings were not only safer than using land, but the weight of the capsule could be lessened, which is a critical success factor in rocketry. The space shuttle runway landings were fine for Earth orbit missions, but not suitable for deep space probing.

In July 1969, the WWII aircraft carrier Hornet gained worldwide fame when it recovered Apollo 11, the first lunar landing flight, which splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. Millions of TV viewers around the world were spellbound as the three astronauts – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, were hoisted into a helicopter and flown to the Hornet where President Nixon welcomed them back to Earth.
The Hornet’s Apollo recovery exhibit is considered to be the best of its kind in the world. Thousands of space enthusiasts crowded its decks whenever an Apollo or shuttle astronaut was present.

With the upcoming missions to Mars, NASA and the Navy will again be teaming up to recover these spacecraft as they return from their epic journeys.

Once again, many thousands of space junkies, and families with young children, will walk the decks of the Hornet Museum, to gain insight and inspiration about the upcoming NASA programs to continue exploring our solar system.

The Meaning of Sacrifice

November 11, 2017 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

Each year on November 11, leaders of the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville observe Veteran’s Day with various military exhibits and educational activities. The goal is to bridge the divide between past generations and future ones, passing along knowledge from lessons learned, sometimes at a bitter cost. Too often, our current educational system provides a brief review of a famous incident or two within a war era, and then moves on. There is little critical thinking developed from this; awareness that would help shape informed opinions for our future voting citizens and community leaders.

In addition to the great array of military equipment and informational displays, there will be two special topics of focus this year, with supporting exhibits and talks. Both will delve into the concept of citizens who take great risks and/or make extreme sacrifices to help gain freedom for their countries.

The first speaker, Cecilia Gaerlan, will discuss World War II events in the Philippines, with a special focus on the infamous Bataan Death March. Cecilia is the founder and Executive Director of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society. Its mission is to educate the public on the historical significance of Bataan and the impact of World War II in the Philippines. She was inspired by her father, Luis Gaerlan, Jr., a survivor of the Bataan Death March. The Society has developed addition high school course curriculum designed to improve student awareness of the war in the Philippines.

Many Americans are unaware that only hours after Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, our military bases were struck in the Philippines. Within days, the Philippine Islands were invaded by a determined and vicious Imperial Japanese Army. Their goal was to capture and enslave the island quickly, paving the way for conquering all of southeast Asia to create a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (the Japanese version of Hitler’s Third Reich).The fundamental key to their success was a speedy conquest, keeping the US and other allied countries off-balance and unable to respond, until they achieved a position of unassailable dominance. Their plan allocated 50 days for the conquest of the main island of Luzon and capture of the capital city Manila.

But the brave U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, the majority of whom were FiIipinos, would have none of this. Out-numbered, out-gunned, deprived of food, fuel and ammunition, and with no air support, they slowed the Japanese advance to a crawl. A peace time army with antiquated weapons, they knew for a fact they could not beat the Japanese Army. But they fought to give the allies time to get more organized in the Pacific and bring in more resources to stop the Japanese advance. Finally, after months of bitter struggle, the Bataan peninsula fell in April, 1942. This was double the amount of time the original invasion plan called for.

The Japanese rounded up an estimated 75,000 captives. They were forced to march 65 miles, in triple digit temperature with 100% humidity, to a prison known as Camp O’Donnell. There were no provisions for food, water, shelter or medicine during this 5-day trek. Those who couldn’t continue the march were beaten, bayoneted, shot, some were even beheaded. Up to 10,000 Filipinos and 650 American troops died along the way, which is why it is called the Bataan Death March.

Once inside Camp O’Donnell, another 20,000 Filipinos and 1,600 Americans died from disease and starvation. Many others were sent on cramped hell ships to slave labor encampments in Japan and Manchuria for the duration of the war.This was a steep price to pay – but they bought enough time to save Australia and New Zealand from invasion. This provided the US and its allies a secure base in Southeast Asia from which to start pushing the Japanese back.

As the Bataan Death March was underway in the Philippines, some American “payback” for Pearl Harbor was on its way to the Japanese Home Islands roughly 2,000 miles to the north.

Bob Fish will then discuss the Doolittle Tokyo Raid, arguably the most legendary air raid in US military history, and its effect on the war. Bob, a long-time resident of Danville, is a Trustee with the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda and has written several articles about the Doolittle Raid. He was instrumental in helping the Raiders be nationally recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015.

Immediately after the Pearl Harbor surprise attack, President Roosevelt challenged his Chiefs of Staff to retaliate against the capital city of Tokyo. He knew this would do little material damage but the psychological aspect was enormous, both to the allies and the Japanese.

The US Navy could not handle the mission by themselves as their aircraft had a very limited flight range, which would imperil what was left of the Pacific fleet. The US Army Air Forces could not handle the mission because they had no bases left in China or the Philippines from which to launch a long range raid. In a moment of inspiration, Navy officers approached the Army Air Forces and said why don’t we launch Army bombers from a floating airfield in the Pacific Ocean, i.e. a Navy aircraft carrier?

The commander of the AAF agreed and turned the Army’s part of the effort over to his best aviator, Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle.

The twin engine B-25 Mitchell bomber was selected as being ideal for such a daring and hazardous undertaking. The mission profile required the aircraft to take off in the short distance of a carrier flight deck, fly 500 miles to Tokyo at a very low level over open ocean, drop the bombs and then fly on another 1,250 miles to China because it could not land back on the carrier.

On February 2, 1942, there was a single test to see if Army bombers could actually take off from an aircraft carrier. Two B-25s were launched from the USS Hornet (CV-8) off the Virginia coast. Based on that success, Doolittle had 24 aircraft modified appropriately, mostly with expanded fuel capacity. He then sought out USAAF volunteer pilots and crewmen, telling them only they would fly a “secret mission that was highly dangerous.” There was no shortage of volunteers!

They only had a few weeks to train in Florida, learning how to do a carrier-type launch of the B-25 (full throttle, full flaps, and lots of prayer). In late March, they flew to California where 16 of the aircraft were craned aboard the USS Hornet (CV-8) at Alameda Naval Air Station. Once the Army personnel were onboard, the ship and its escort vessels steamed out of San Francisco Bay, with the Golden Gate Bridge being their last sight of the homeland.

A week later, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, they rendezvoused with another US Navy task force commanded by VADM Bill Halsey aboard the USS Enterprise (CV-6). They steamed together until reaching a point 650 miles east of Tokyo when they were discovered by Japanese picket boats. It was decided to launch the raid immediately, even though it was 150 miles further away than planned. All 80 USAAF fliers had serious doubts about having enough fuel to reach China.

But launch they did, starting at 8am, and in a storm with high winds and large waves, whose crests were coming over the bow. All 16 bombers got off safely in just an hour and most flew separately on their way to the island of Honshu.

Once they completed this air strike, they flew on to China. The airfield where they were supposed to land was unprepared for their arrival. Hence, each bomber eventually ran out of fuel that rainy night. Most aircrews bailed out, landing in rice paddies and on mountain tops. A few had to ditch along the seacoast. Three men died during this end-of-flight period and eight were captured by the Japanese (three were executed and one other died in captivity). Within weeks, sixty nine of the eighty crewmen eventually made their way out of China and back into the US war effort.

All of these young men volunteered for what was essentially a suicide mission. Only due to a timely tail wind did they reach the Chinese coast. But the sacrifice they made, and the risks they took, had a significant impact on the war effort. American and Allied morale was boosted while the Japanese were shocked they could be attacked so easily. Only 6 weeks later, the Japanese launched a hastily prepared attack on Midway Island to prevent further air raids on their home islands. It was a disastrous defeat for them, shortening the war by years. The sacrifices of 80 volunteers provided immeasurable benefit in keeping the US, the arsenal of democracy, alive and well, ending in defeat of the Axis powers.

The Veteran’s Day activities will take place in the Veterans Memorial Building at 400 Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville on November 10, 11, and 12. The public presentations will be at 2pm on Saturday. More information is available at www.vmbsrv.org.

What is a Hero?

October 6, 2016 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

I‘ve spent a great deal of my adult life trying to understand what a hero is and what makes them tick. As a Trustee of the USS Hornet Museum and the Associated Airtanker Pilots (i.e., aerial firefighters), I’m in daily contact with people who can legitimately be classified as heroes. I don’t know the formal psychological definition of the term—my perspective is more “when you see it, you know it.”

Thanks to Hollywood, most younger Americans confuse “celebrities” with “heroes.” I spend quite a bit of time on the Hornet discussing this with kids. An actor in a space movie never leaves the safety of a sound studio and is well paid for entertaining a few theater goers. The Apollo astronaut being portrayed, however, trained for years before strapping himself into a Volkswagen size craft on top of a giant rocket with 7.5 million pounds of explosive thrust. He spent many days in a highly hazardous environment, earned a modest salary, yet accomplished goals set forth by his nation, to the betterment of all mankind. It’s a pet peeve of mine when someone mixes them up.

But that doesn’t mean actors can’t be heroes. In the summer of 2001, I was in Jackson Hole, WY when the Green Knoll wildfire broke out. I watched from an adjacent mountain as the fire spread rapidly. Amidst all the smoke, flying debris and tricky winds, with airtankers and TV helicopters buzzing around, there was one civilian helicopter that repeatedly landed near homes in the area of the flames, unloaded supplies and evacuated trapped citizens and pets. It flew between the fire scene and the airport several times. The next day I learned the helicopter was flown by Harrison Ford. He was in the right place at the right time, with both the means and the desire to effect a meaningful change of destiny for citizens in his community. He’s a hero to me.

Let me share what little I’ve learned about what makes them tick. Every Medal of Honor winner has told me “I was just doing my job” or “I just wanted to save my buddy’s life.” The fact that someone else saw it, wrote up a decoration and a medal was awarded is all secondary in the grand scheme of things.

I know for a personal fact that Neil Armstrong does not claim his walk on the moon to be heroic. He views himself as an explorer, pushing the edge of the known world to new heights, much as Charles Lindbergh did when he flew his daring solo mission across the Atlantic in 1927. Over 400,000 civilian, military and government personnel assisted this noble scientific cause and he is the first to note they made his historic walk possible. Few people know about his more heroic exploits. During a combat mission in the Korean War, his Navy jet was seriously damaged attacking a bridge deep in enemy territory, but he skillfully nursed it back into friendlier skies so he could bail out and rejoin friends in his squadron a day later.

There are certain traits that seem to be consistent with those heroes I’ve had contact with. I am always struck by their quiet confidence and humility. For those from the military, this stems from their knowledge that most of the heroes did not return from places like Normandy and Iwo Jima, nor did they get medals. Duty, honor, and sacrifice are more than just words to those who have served in combat. For those in the first responder community, almost any situation can take a sudden turn towards disaster. While good training and lots of practice keeps them reasonably safe, all too often a dispatch ends with the playing of bagpipes, so there is a strong bond among themselves to leave no one behind.

People who perform heroic acts have the ability to quite the mind and focus their thoughts on just those few essential details that determine whether the outcome is life or death. They are able to overcome their fears and make rationale decisions even in the midst of a sensory maelstrom. Rationale does not necessary mean “logical”… though sometimes it means falling on a hand grenade to save your buddies in the foxhole beside you.

All professional pilots are trained in rapid decision making skills. The USAF teaches its aviators a specific process called the OODA loop – observe, orient, decide and act. But life-threatening emergencies happen very rarely and simulated emergencies have a “shelf life” in the mind and reflexes of a pilot. The pilot-in-command must have a psyche that overrides the natural human tendency to panic when under great stress.

Captain Sullenberger’s experiences in the USAF, plus the many flight hours logged in airliners and training simulators were all invaluable in allowing him to quickly orient himself to a very fluid situation once both engines went out of commission simultaneously. But his innate mental abilities allowed him to process information quickly, determine several potential options, and reject the sub-optimal ones in favor of the most rationale solution. You can hear it in his voice on the FAA control tower tapes. His focus was finding a way to land the airliner (a huge glider, in reality), not chatting with the tower operators, or screaming at the crew or saying Hail Mary’s.

He quickly and rationally determined how to maneuver his aircraft into a survivable “landing envelope.” Even more impressive was how he quickly expanded that into a “passenger survivability envelope” by putting the aircraft down near the ferries, trusting that the first responders in the water would do their jobs just as well. This Danville pilot has “the right stuff” – sounds pretty close to “hero” to me!

Way to go Sully !

Leaping Into the Abyss

June 3, 2015 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

Co-pilot Dick Cole stared down at the 2 x 2 foot hole in the deck of his twin-engine aircraft. While tightening his parachute straps, the throbbing sound of radial engines and the pungent smell of aviation fuel provided small level of comfort and security. His Army Air Corps crew had just flown their B-25 bomber thirteen hours on a mission that oscillated wildly between brief moments of high intensity and hours of complete boredom. It was now a very dark and stormy night outside. The aircraft was 10,000 feet over a strange and hostile land, with fuel running out and no airfield in sight. The boss motioned that it was now his turn to bail out. A feeling of stoic mindfulness engulfed the 26-year old aviator for a moment. Then, he stepped forward – turning control of his body over to gravity and of his soul to God.

While he couldn’t possibly have known it at that moment, Dick and 79 fellow airmen jumped into American legendary status and would forever more be known as Doolittle Raiders.

Crew No. 1 (Plane #40-2344, target Tokyo): 34th Bombardment Squadron, Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle, pilot; Lt. Richard E. Cole, copilot; Lt. Henry A. Potter, navigator; SSgt. Fred A. Braemer, bombardier; SSgt. Paul J. Leonard, flight engineer/gunner. (U.S. Air Force photo)

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese navy wreaked havoc on Pearl Harbor, bringing America into World War II. American citizens were outraged and demanded the U.S. government do something. Emotions were heightened by the fear that Japan would invade Hawaii or the west coast. President Roosevelt was keenly aware he needed to harness this emotion to build a war effort that would help our allies in Europe as well as Asia. He challenged the top military leaders to devise a counter-attack against Tokyo. But he could not afford to order a full scale military strike since our nation was woefully unprepared for major combat operations.

In this case, navy aircraft had a limited flight range, which would jeopardize the aircraft carriers that launched them. The Army, however, had lost its main airfields in the Philippines and had no air base within range of Japan.

Several weeks later, Navy Captains Francis Low and Donald Duncan came up with a creative solution. They crafted a 30-page handwritten plan and briefed Lt. Gen Hap Arnold, the head of the Army Air Forces. He assigned Lt. Col Jimmy Doolittle to improve it and carry out the necessary arrangements. Jimmy Doolittle, a highly respected aviation pioneer, was the perfect man to orchestrate this complex and harrowing mission. He was the boss, a master of calculated risk.

Within weeks, the Navy assigned their newest aircraft carrier, USS Hornet CV-8, to the Top Secret “special aviation project”. The Army requisitioned 24 B-25 Mitchell bombers and their volunteer air crews and sent them to Florida for special training. Naval flight instructor Lt Henry Miller showed the astonished pilots how to launch the aircraft with just 500 feet of runway, instead of the normal 2,500 feet.

On March 31, 1942, the units converged on the Naval Air Station in Alameda. The next day, 16 of the Army bombers were loaded aboard the Hornet, as well as 134 Army air crew and support personnel. On April 2, the Hornet and seven escorts ships steamed under the Golden Gate Bridge on heading 270 degrees – due west. When the commanding officer of the Hornet, Captain Marc Mitscher, announced over the ship’s loud speaker their destination was Tokyo, a huge cheer went up from the navy men. A large sign was painted on the superstructure that simply said “Remember Pearl Harbor.”

Ten days later, the Hornet task force merged with another out of Pearl Harbor headed by the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and overall command of the combined flotilla fell to the fighting admiral, VADM Bull Halsey.

Several days after that, on April 18, 1942, the force was discovered by Japanese picket boats several hundred miles farther from shore than expected. In the midst of a northern Pacific storm, with gale force winds, driving rain and waves cresting over the bow of the Hornet, the Army bombers were launched. The extra distance presented a serious issue for the air crews. It meant they would have to fly over Tokyo in broad daylight and would not be able to reach their intended destinations in China. Even though the mission was now just short of being suicidal, none of the young Army Air Corps volunteers backed out.

Four hours later, 64 American bombs rained down on military and industrial targets in several Japanese cities. The actual physical damage was light. But the shock to the Japanese psychological mindset was heavy, as they never expected to be attacked during the entire war, much less at the very beginning. American citizens, and her allies, received a huge morale boost. This carried into building a massive war effort that would defeat all the Axis countries. Pearl Harbor was well avenged!

None of the bombers were shot down. Fifteen struggled to reach China (one detoured to Russia where it landed safely). A couple crash landed, although most crews chose to bail out while the engines still had fuel. 69 of the 80 crewmen returned to active duty status with the Army (and its post-war successor, the US Air Force). Three were killed in the crash landings, and eight were captured by the Japanese. Three of those were executed and one died of starvation in prison but four returned home following Japan’s surrender.

After World War II, the Raiders continued on with their lives, focused on the same things as everyone else – building a career, getting married, having a family, and saving money for retirement. They held reunions almost every year, enjoying the strong bond forged by their amazing shared experience. As time passed, the Raider ranks began to thin.

In 2013, with only a handful of men left, many citizens wanted to publicly recognize them for their courageous service. Based on significant veteran support, the U.S. Congress passed a bill awarding the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal to the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders. On May 23, 2014, President Obama signed the bill – with 98-year old Dick Cole standing right behind him!

On April 15 of this year, the actual gold medal was presented to the Raiders in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. A few days later, that same medal was presented to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for permanent display. Of course, it was Dick Cole who handed the precious medal and certificate to the museum director. Somewhere nearby in spirit, “the boss” was smiling – his boys had successfully completed one last mission.

To paraphrase another American hero, Dick’s one small step was a giant leap for the preservation of world democracy. He and the other 79 Raiders are highly deserving of this national recognition before they all pass into the realm of history.

SIDEBAR: One of Life’s Moments

During the April 15 Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi gave a particularly poignant presentation, noting the raid’s origins were the SF Bay Area. Afterward, I approached her to offer congratulations – and present her with a Hornet Museum challenge coin. Well, in the military culture, when a person hands over a challenge coin, the recipient must either reciprocate with their coin or buy a drink for the offeror. So I said “well, I guess this means you owe me a drink next time we meet.” Ms. Pelosi didn’t miss a beat – with a sly grin, she said “Not so fast Bob,” and handed me her challenge coin! It was at that moment her aide chose to take this picture – we had a mutual chuckle, although my grin was fading fast as I wondered if she would bring her 434 fellow House Representatives to the bar for a free drink on me. Stay tuned!

Bob Fish is a Trustee of the USS Hornet Museum, which held its own Congressional Gold Medal ceremony on April 25, honoring the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders in the SF Bay Area.

Step Into History: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 11

September 14, 2014 by Bob Fish Leave a Comment

The motto of the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda seems straightforward. People often think it applies only to the venerable World War II aircraft carrier itself, since it had fought in many famous WWII Pacific Ocean battles and did three tours of duty in the Vietnam War.

However, of equal importance, is hearing stories and learning lessons from people who served on the ship or were involved in its historical actions. In July 1969, the USS Hornet (CVS-12) recovered the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon’s surface, it was the first time in history that humans had set foot on a heavenly body other than earth. This epic event will be remembered for the rest of mankind’s existence.

In order to “transfer” some of that 1960’s excitement, knowledge, and inspiration to young Americans, the museum holds a special event every 5th year on the anniversary of the Apollo 11 flight. A moon-walking astronaut always attends as the keynote speaker, augmented by a more recent member of the NASA astronaut corps.
[<photo 1> Pier view of Hornet]

This year, on July 26, Buzz Aldrin was the featured Apollo guest at Splashdown 45. Bay Area residents enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet, listen to, and even get a book signed by the second of 12 men who walked on the moon. This popular event was also graced by the presence of Bay Area shuttle astronaut Yvonne Cagle. Both astronauts were former members of the US Air Force and were “piped aboard” in a traditional Navy welcoming ceremony with local Navy League Sea Cadets acting as sideboys.
[<photo 2> Buzz saluting cadets]

Months before the event, the Hornet Museum had teamed up with the Alameda school district to hold a space-related essay contest. The question was “Why I want to be an astronaut when I grow up”. The age bracket winners were Grace Tauscher and Khushi Randev. Each was personally introduced to Buzz Aldrin and had their photo taken with him during Splashdown 45.
[<photo 3> Grace & Buzz]

Many organizations brought educational exhibits or interactive displays, ensuring a large Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) component. Hornet’s youth programs have always augmented normal classroom teaching with tactile activities whenever possible. With great support from many sponsors, partners and participants, visitors of all age groups and various socio-economic backgrounds had a memorable experience. The robotics club from Bellarmine College Preparatory was a big hit!
[<photo 4> Robot & Toddler]

Upon arrival, astronaut Yvonne Cagle headed straight to the STEM education center to observe the various classes being given. With great enthusiasm, she jumped into an interactive session being run by GoldieBlox, a local company whose mission is to inspire the next generation of female engineers. A willing co-conspirator, Yvonne definitely inspired a number of youngsters during this visit to the Hornet.
[<photo 5> Yvonne & GoldieBlox]

In the early afternoon, Yvonne introduced Buzz with a few personal remarks about her childhood dreams of going into space. Buzz gave his keynote presentation to an enthusiastic crowd of 3,000 people on the aircraft carrier’s huge hangar deck. Everyone listened intently, as he spoke about his experiences on the Gemini 12 and Apollo 11 space flights – especially walking on the moon’s surface. He then articulated his vision for future human space exploration, with a primary focus of landing on Mars within the next 2 decades.
[<photo 6> Crowd & Buzz in HB]

Afterward, the audience was able to get their Mission to Mars books signed by Buzz (who autographed 719 copies in just two hours) and/or interact with the many members of the NASA and Navy Apollo 11 Recovery Team who were present. Julian Cruz was a lucky youngster who managed to collect an autograph from the Apollo 11 flight surgeon Dr. William Carpentier. The doctor actually spent more time in the NASA “moon germ” quarantine facilities than the astronauts!
[<photo 7> Bill & Julio]

After a long yet enjoyable daytime event, most visitors left the ship as it was being transitioned over to the evening cocktail reception and gourmet dinner. All hands – young and elderly – agreed that history is much richer than what is gained by just reading a book and, that learning can be fun. Proving the point are these two Sea Cadets from the Diablo Squadron, Aidan Mone and Jarod Whitman. Along with many fellow cadets and Boy Scouts, they provided great volunteer assistance, including passing out programs to arriving guests.
[<photo 8> Two Cadets & pgms]

I thoroughly enjoy chatting with people who have made history. Few of them protect their fame – most simply say they were “just doing their job.” Given my membership in the baby boomer generation, those individuals are often participants in major world events of the World II or Korean War eras.

However, it’s very clear to any historian alive today that a major shift in “demographics” is well underway. This was clearly demonstrated by our two featured astronaut speakers at Splashdown 45.

Buzz Aldrin is an alpha-male reflection of his generation. In that timeframe, positions of power and responsibility were largely held by Caucasian men, with a majority having had military service and some level of combat action. The primary metric for becoming a hero within the Greatest Generation was military-oriented achievement. But, as shown by the trials and tribulations of the Tuskegee Airmen or the 442nd Regimental Combat team, it was difficult for minorities to break into the ranks of those who were publicly recognized for high achievement.

Buzz was a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point. As a USAir Force fighter pilot, he shot down two MIGs in combat over Korea. He earned an advanced Sc.D degree from MIT by writing a thesis on Manned Orbital Rendezvous, which became extremely useful to NASA’s upcoming lunar landing program. When he joined NASA in 1963, he was in the right place with the right training and knowledge. He performed well during the Gemini 12 flight, which placed him in position to became world famous as the second human to ever walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Even at age 84, Buzz continues to be a major voice for expanded US manned space exploration.

Yvonne Cagle is an African-American woman who was born at West Point because her father was an officer in the US Air Force. Yvonne earned her BA in biochemistry from SF State University, and an M.D. degree from the University of Washington. She received a certificate in Aerospace Medicine from the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine in 1988.She was actively involved with aircraft assigned to provide medical support and rescue in a variety of aero-medical missions.

Selected by NASA in April 1996, Yvonne completed two years of training and evaluation, and is qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. Her initial assignment was at the Astronaut Office Operations Planning branch, supporting the Space Shuttle Program and International Space Station, followed by a special assignment to NASA’s Ames Research Center. The shuttle program was terminated before she was assigned a spaceflight mission. Yvonne continues a significant role with NASA and is also a practicing family physician.

Both of them are a credit to their generation and a reflection of the times and needs during which they served America’s space program. They, both being highly educated, possess keen intellects and are interesting to talk to!

Would one have been the “better astronaut” than the other during their years of top physical and mental performance? Well, it depends on the mission! If we needed to launch a hazardous mission to lasso a killer asteroid that was bearing down on earth, Buzz would be the better choice. But, if we needed to launch a mission to Mars to study its potential habitability, Yvonne is clearly better suited. Americans are very lucky to have such a diverse group of heroes who answer the call of national service throughout many generations.

ALIVE East Bay magazine was an important Media Sponsor of Splashdown 45.
More event photos can be found on this website: http://susanwoodphotography.com/Splashdown/Splashdown-45