>>> Video below: Watch the original coverage of the Apollo 14 launch. And while the astronauts prepared for their flight back to Earth, Gwin prepared for the most important moment of his life. "I was an AE-2 -- that's an aviation electrician," he said. "My primary job was, I had to ensure that all the electrical systems on every one of the helicopters worked." The helicopters Gwin kept powered were used to rescue the astronauts once they splashed down on Earth. He remembered getting instructions on the USS New Orleans to standby for a loud sonic boom and wait for the astronauts' parachutes to deploy.