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I was stunned this week by a man whose family I have known for 30+ years. I have known him personally for the past 12 years. But he is an unassuming humble man, not talking up his abilities or work. I knew that he was an engineer and works part time locally as an engineer with a few companies as a consultant in his retirement years. He doesn't look nearly as old as he is (80).
I work with churches in a 3 county area of NW MS known as the MS Delta, a very flat area of land that is well suited to agriculture, which is the primary source of employment and resource in the area. This engineer is a member and deacon in one church, which is why I have known him and his family for years. I grew up in this area, and I visited in most of these churches as a child with my mom and dad as we had Associational gatherings 2 or 3 times yearly.
That was the background.
This past week, one of the larger churches had their monthly senior citizens “program” and luncheon, to which I am always invited. (A few other churches do the same but at different weeks.) The program speakers for this past week had a sudden problem arise 4 days before the luncheon. This engineer approached the lady in charge and asked if he could do the program. He was invited (of course, after all he is a deacon in that church).
He astounded everyone except his wife. He was a graduate of Mississippi State University’s Engineering school in the early 1960’s. He went to work for Grumman, and the early aerospace devision and was sent to NASA, Cape Canaveral. He spoke of many of the astronauts on a first name basis, and then of some of the division leaders on a first name basis also, and their interactions.
Then he asked: “Do you remember Apollo 13?” Everyone said yes. He asked: “Do any of you remember when the earth crew of engineers came in with a box and dumped it out and said ‘this is all that they have on board, can we fix their problems with these parts?” A few of us answered yes. Then he said: That TV version wasn’t exactly as it was, That specific job was given to me and 2 others. We helped bring them home safely.
Other parts and solution developments were given to other engineering crews. He displayed patches with names of the astronauts on each one from Gemini. One patch, the first crew to land on the moon, did not have names on the patch because they chose to dedicate that to all Americans who were a part of that.
There was much more to it and it was extremely interesting - from a very quiet and unassuming man.
You never know who you know!
I work with churches in a 3 county area of NW MS known as the MS Delta, a very flat area of land that is well suited to agriculture, which is the primary source of employment and resource in the area. This engineer is a member and deacon in one church, which is why I have known him and his family for years. I grew up in this area, and I visited in most of these churches as a child with my mom and dad as we had Associational gatherings 2 or 3 times yearly.
That was the background.
This past week, one of the larger churches had their monthly senior citizens “program” and luncheon, to which I am always invited. (A few other churches do the same but at different weeks.) The program speakers for this past week had a sudden problem arise 4 days before the luncheon. This engineer approached the lady in charge and asked if he could do the program. He was invited (of course, after all he is a deacon in that church).
He astounded everyone except his wife. He was a graduate of Mississippi State University’s Engineering school in the early 1960’s. He went to work for Grumman, and the early aerospace devision and was sent to NASA, Cape Canaveral. He spoke of many of the astronauts on a first name basis, and then of some of the division leaders on a first name basis also, and their interactions.
Then he asked: “Do you remember Apollo 13?” Everyone said yes. He asked: “Do any of you remember when the earth crew of engineers came in with a box and dumped it out and said ‘this is all that they have on board, can we fix their problems with these parts?” A few of us answered yes. Then he said: That TV version wasn’t exactly as it was, That specific job was given to me and 2 others. We helped bring them home safely.
Other parts and solution developments were given to other engineering crews. He displayed patches with names of the astronauts on each one from Gemini. One patch, the first crew to land on the moon, did not have names on the patch because they chose to dedicate that to all Americans who were a part of that.
There was much more to it and it was extremely interesting - from a very quiet and unassuming man.
You never know who you know!
twistsol
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