One of the letters
Dad received was from Ed White, the first American to walk in space. When
White visited the plant he, as all the astronauts, had plaster cast taken
of his facial contours. This cast was used to insure the helmet lining
would fit perfectly. He signed and sent Dad a copy of an official NASA
photo of himself walking in space, June 3, 1965, during the mission of
Gemini 4, American Eagle. The photo attached to the letter shows White
getting "plastered". The 5 cent US postage stamp was issued in commemoration
of his space walk. Ed White was one of the three astronauts who died in
the tragic Apollo I pad fire January 27, 1967.
