It's pretty hard for anyone to compete with going to the Moon -- but the astronauts weren't the only ones on that journey. Lee Cowan reports their wives back on Earth were along for the ride too -- just a different kind of voyage.
That explains why Roger Chaffe's widow started dating almost immediately, announced her engagement in December 1967 and got remarried in February 1968. I thought that was a little weird, but, I guess, maybe, from the sound of the other wives, she might not have been happy in her marriage, with him gone all the time. I saw that marriage didn't last either, but, I saw pictures of her at all the memorials for Roger and the other astronauts killed over the years.
Very few of the marriages were happy in that sense, with all the "cape cookies" hanging around the astronauts all the time flirting. I just finished the book and Betty Grissom tells a story about how she and Gus were riding with John Young and he picks up a woman who they don't even know, turns out she is John's mistress 🤦 so, Betty point blank asks Gus if there's anyone who isn't cheating and he doesn't really answer lol. After Gus's death, Betty felt more free which I can't blame her at all
Fantastic! There are two more recordings I am trying to find. First I think was done by PBS around 2005 on the Astronaut Wives gathering together. Second was a panel discussion possibly held at Pensacola of roughly ten Mercury/Gemini/Apollo astronauts. "History makes you smart, heritage makes you proud."
I have been watching the new TV series. Had no idea there was a book. Now I've got to find it. I love the series. Pretty sure I'll enjoy the book, too.
I loved the TV show and sorry that it doesn't have following seasons; but as soon as payday arrives, I'm buying the book. I remember those early years .. vaguely .. as I was only about 7 when Sputnik went up. I tried to follow every launch that NASA sent up. But I do not recall the first thing about the Astronaut's families. I guess I was too young to read the magazines; and as I was more into horses as I grew up I never sought out the lady's mags that my sisters and friends read. BUT ... I'm getting the book. LOL
I love this neighborhood outside of Houston, it make the feel the time is stopped, the Apollo programm is still running..... Why i i have the vibe of Fallout 4....?
I gotta admit - I saw the promos and got kinda curious about this show because back in the 60's - I watched all things astronauts and spaceship take offs etc. (when the shuttle would take off I watch it everytime - even when the one exploded, that left me in total shock. It was one of those "did that just happen for real? moments for me) Anyway - I actually like the show. I know it's a "limited series", but it's been pretty good so far. And informative because I had no idea what happened behind the scenes of NASA back then.
Interestingly, all but one of the astronaut marriages which survived consisted of devout or born again Christian's (schirra, borman, charles Duke, glenn, anders, lovell, collins). Shepard was not a christian, but he and his wife were madly in love despite his extramarital affairs, and she dies just a month after him due to grief. And pretty much all the failed astronaut marriages were due to adultery, extreme meanness, alcoholism, or some other no-fault reason.
The wives were nice when they claimed inexperience destroyed their marriages. In reality, it was infidelity, emotional cruelty, and alcoholism on the part of the astronauts. Unsurprisingly, most of the marriages which did survive are ones between devout Christians (for example, the lovells).
@@skylarkk6418 yeah that's true, I'll buy that. when you're young and try to make decisions that will affect the rest of your life when you're only 20 years old, kind of different when suddenly you find yourself stuck out of middle of some Plpodunk government housing while your husband is off risking his life every day and you don't know if he's going to come back alive.
All the wives being interviewed here were formerly married to astronauts. With some exceptions, what made these ladies think that my divorcing the old man their lives would become so much better ?
@@evaphillips2102I just finished it. I really hope the OP also read it, maybe they will understand. I loved how it described Betty Grissom as finally able to be more free after Gus's death, horrible as it was.
That's mean and *completely INaccurate* ... they got married young as *military wives* with nothing in the foreseeable future but gov't housing and husbands away for months at a time on Cold War deployments, and certainly not a clue that their hubbies would become "famous" or launch into space.
