the beginning because there is a beginning before this. but as the date nine april, 1959 mean anything to you? of course, that was one of the happiest days of my life. that was a day in which we all congregated, officially, as the u.s. first astronaut group. we have been through a selection process, obviously, previous to that time. but that was the day we first showed up officially as the first astronauts of the united states, back at langley field, virginia. at langley. why langley, i wonder? well, of course, and i ca had become nasa and a great big hurried turnaround as you recall. the program of astronauts selection and training, basically, was run by the people who worked from langley. originally, of course, we all reported into washington. that was where the initiation, in the introduction, the pre selection, all that sort of routine went on. as you know, we had physicals elsewhere in the country. but once this election was made, of course, we reported to those pe
life. that was a day in which we all congregated, officially, as the u.s. first astronaut group. we have been through a selection process, obviously, previous to that time. but that was the day we first showed up officially as the first astronauts of the united states, back at langley field, virginia. at langley. why langley, i wonder? well, of course, and i ca had become nasa and a great big hurried turnaround as you recall. the program of astronauts selection and training, basically, was run by the people who worked from langley. originally, of course, we all reported into washington. that was where the initiation, in the introduction, the pre selection, all that sort of routine went on. as you know, we had physicals elsewhere in the country. but once this election was made, of course, we reported to those people at langley field. which was kind of neat for me because i was already stationed in norfolk in a job which i didn t like in the first place. i was finally taken