Honoring the life and accomplishments of Astronaut Walter Wally Schirra 

and expressing condolences on his passing.

Mr. Speaker,

I rise today in honor of the life and accomplishments of astronaut Walter “Wally” Schirra and express the condolences of a grateful nation to his entire family.

Wally passed away last Thursday at the age of 84, leaving behind his wife, Joespehine and daughter Suzanne and son Walter Schirra III.

In a world that now places a premium on innovation and discovery, Wally was a pioneer in both. 

Logging more than 295 hours in space, he was at the forefront of a bold race to outer space that captivated the attention of the entire world. 

The history of man is measured on a timeline of exploration, and for Walter Schirra, so was his life.  Pushing the limits of discovery, determined to work harder and go farther than anyone before him. 

Wally had the distinction of being the fifth American in space and the third American to orbit the Earth on an adventure that included six circling of the globe lasting more than nine hours.

He led a lifetime built on breaking barriers and laying the groundwork for future lunar landings. 

On December 15, 1965, he piloted the Gemini 6A in what was the first attempted rendezvous by two manned spacecraft in earth orbit. 

Three years later in October of 1968, he concluded his third and final mission when he was launched as commander of Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission.  This flight made Commander Schirra the only Mercury astronaut to fly aboard Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecrafts.

His lifetime of achievement also included a decorated record of service in the United States Military. 

As an exchange pilot with the 154^th Fighter Bomber Squadron during the Korean War, he flew 90 combat missions in F-84E jets and was credited with downing at least one MIG fighter.

His courage and valor was eventually recognized with three distinguished flying crosses, two air medals, two NASA Distinguished Services Medals and induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

While he will be remembered most for his contributions to the United States space program, Wally also made tremendous strides in advancing the Reuben H. Fleet Aerospace Museum in San Diego.

Retiring to my district in 1984, Wally dedicated much of his later years to working with children on connecting them to the amazing possibilities that a career on space exploration could provide.  A tireless advocate for discovery, Wally was an inspirational figure for countless of San Diegans.

While he could no longer to venture out into outer space, Wally took a liking to sailing a 36-foot sailboat.  I guess he figured if the skies were no longer available to him, he would instead canvass the ocean.

Astronaut Walter “Wally” Schirra will always have a special place in our nation’s history.  An inspiring figure of humble beginnings with daring dreams.  A pioneer of our space program who helped the United States win the space race against the Soviet Union.

While we mourn the loss of this remarkable man, we can rest assured that his legacy will be long felt for many generations to come.

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