Seeing Astronauts Today:-)

Today, I had the nice fortune of getting to see and listen to four very great men. Scott Carpenter, Tom Stafford, Eugene Cernan and Ed Buckbee.
They were down at the San Diego Aerospace museum today and it was a very rare treat to meet the men in person.
Scott Carpenter was the second man to orbit the earth after John Glenn and he was an aquanaut as well. Tom Stafford flew on a Gemini mission, Apollo 10 and on the Apollo/Soyuz mission in 1975. Eugene Cernan also flew on a Gemini mission, Apollo 10 and on Apollo 17. Eugene Cernan was also the last man to have set foot on the Moon in 1972, 35 years ago.
Ed Buckabee was the forum interviewer and also the author of a great book titled "The Real Space Cowboys that was also co-authored by Wally Schirra who had recently passed away in May of 2007.
Ed Buckbee, worked with Von Braun at Marshall Space Flight Center and as a NASA public affairs officer worked with all the astronauts who flew the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions.
He was selected by Von Braun to create and manage the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., and was founder of the U.S. Space Camp and, along with the Mercury 7, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame near Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Schirra has to be the most accomplished fact-checker in publishing history, the only man to travel in Mercury, Gemini and Apollo flights.
Along with a gallery of photos displayed throughout, the book comes with a DVD that has save-for-your-grandchildren moments, like a mini-documentary on Shepard's first flight, as well as some whimsical moments with elaborate practical jokes. "Levity is lubricant of crises," Schirra said, explaining the astronauts' love of a good "gotcha."
The fun-loving side -- Shepard once borrowed an Indy 500 race car and drove it onto Johnson Space Center, just to trump Schirra's pride in a new Ferrari -- mixes wonderfully and entertainingly with the contemplative side in this book.
What Buckbee and Schirra proved conclusively in "The Real Space Cowboys" is there was plenty of fascinating stuff to write, years after "The Right Stuff."

The forum was really nice. It was really great to see a part of history in person today.
Their final note that all four men conveyed to the audience is that this generation and the ones to follow should continue to explore space and beyond, inspire the youth do get involved.

"If you do not take an interest in the world, the world is not going to take interest in you". Continue to dream and never settle.

At the end of the forum, the Air Force color guard from Travis Air Force base did a very nice closing ceremony with respect towards Astronaut Wally Schirra. It was very moving, patriotic and well received by the audience.