European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 4, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine by Alan b. Shepard or. Written for associated press he one room office was very. Quill nobody said anything at first. The director of pro 9d Mercury Bob Gilruth had jus Lold seven lop notch competitive highly motivated pilots lha nation s first seven astronauts that one among them hat been picked As the first american in space. Ii was Jan. .19, 1361. At the Nasa Laboratory at Langley fab in Virginia we had trained Logel her almost i to years the decision Gilruth said had bean difficult because Oil of us were Good pills and had worked with Gie Al dedication. But the Choice had been made i was to be prime Pilot John Glenn the backup Gus Grossom would Fly the second Redstone Wilh John again she backup. My emotions wore mixed. I was Happy i was selected. But i Felt sorry for the others. Allol us each of us had wanted to be first. The others come Over and Shook my hand. Their congratulations their smiles were genuine but i knew they were disappointed. The information was to be kept in strictest Confidence. Gilruth seeking to keep the pressure off any one individual said the press would be told the Day of the launch i told my wife Louise that night bul i did t Tell the rest of the family until a month before. We were targeting the flight Lor March bul one More Tost flight remained an unmanned Mercury capsule had already been lofted on a ballistic trajectory by a Redstone Rochet. Now m was a Chimpanzee s turn to pave the Way Lor Man. His name was Ham and he had a rough flight because of an electrical problem the escape rocket tired in error and his capsule overshot his target area by 112 Miles. The engineers said. They understood the problem and recommended that Nasa proceed Wilh my Ili Ghl i was All for it. Bul others took a More conservative approach and said another unmanned flight was necessary. That decision pushed my launch Date Back to Early May and probably Cost me i he Chance to become the first Man in space. On april 12, to russians stunned the world by launching cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into a once around the world orbit. We All were surprised. We d had no idea they were so close. And his 1-hour. 48-Minule hip was certainly a Mora ambitious undertaking than the 15-Minule up and Down flight i was training Lor. Beating the russians was always Al the Backol everyone s mind. Without thai Etra lest flight we could have been first. I was very disappointed. My Day finally came May 5. 1961. We had tried on May 2, but bad weather wiped us out even before i got in the capsule. After announcing the postponement Nasa disclosed that i was the one selected Lor the Light. On May 5,1 was awakened a Little Afler 1 . By Bill Douglas. The astronauts physician i shaved showered and had a Brea last of Steak and eggs with Douglas and John Glenn. John Lei i or the launch pad to make sure my capsule was ready. I Felt a few butterflies As Douglas gave me a brie medical exam and technicians helped me. Into my space suit. About a . We loll the Crew quarters i hangar s. Douglas and Gus Grissom were Wil h me i was pleased to see Tho skies were Clear. At the pad. I was struck by the Beauty of the Redstone topped by the Mercury capsule i d named Freedom 7, representing the seven Mercury astronauts. The 83-foot Rochet bathed in searchlights was pulling while Clouds from its liquid oxygen Venus and Frost covered us sides. I was never going to see this rocket again so1 stopped and stared up at it for a few seconds. At 5 18 ., with tha help of John and some  in Page a Polo Mill up ii first american in space Alan b. Shepard or. Wilh Mercury capsule Model is a businessman in Houston today. Inset photo doctor attaches electrodes to astronaut Shepard just before launch May 5, 1961. Mercury astronaut recounts 1961 drama pop gun flight into space sunday may4. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13