Before the Fire
Veteran space reporter Jay Barbree recalls Apollo's darkest day.
- By Jay Barbree
- AirSpaceMag.com, November 01, 2007
Jay Barbree (left)and Gus Grissom around the time of the astronaut's Gemini 3 flight in 1965.
Courtesy Jay Barbree
NBC space correspondent Jay Barbree was still a cub reporter for WALB radio and TV in Albany, Georgia, on the night the Russian Sputnik 1 satellite was launched in October 1957. So taken was he by the event that he moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida, and began reporting on the burgeoning space race. In his book U.S. manned space mission—offers personal portraits of astronauts along with his fellow journalists. Here he recalls how, as the first Apollo spacecraft was nearing completion in late 1966, Gus Grissom and his fellow astronauts became increasingly concerned about sloppy engineering.
Despite Gus and his crewmates’ problems, Apollo was coming. So were the big network stars. Huntley, Brinkley and Cronkite wanted to be part of man’s first landing on the moon and so did their New York handlers. The lunar landings were being sold to such big advertisers as Gulf Oil, and these corporate giants wanted to see Chet Huntley and David Brinkley sitting on camera in front of their logo.
Many have asked me if it didn’t piss me off to spoon-feed information to the New York stars. My answer was simple. Hell, no! That was my job. A person from my background had a slim and none chance of getting on national television and I was damn happy to be the exception to the rule.
I was grateful, and more important, I knew my limitations. How could I not be pleased living and working in paradise? I had long ago recognized a solid fact. I did not have the background to be a Chet Huntley or a Walter Cronkite, and I simply did not want to be. NBC was very fair. I not only had been blessed with a wonderful wife and children, I had a job that was one of the most exciting in the country, and I had cultivated solid sources. They were filling me in on all bits and pieces of Apollo, including the growing tension between Gus Grissom and Apollo managers. And I was aware of another fact. No outside reporter could compete with me on my turf.
The Apollo astronauts were in their jets commuting almost daily between their homes in Houston and the Cape, and that evening Gus was at Wolfie’s Nightclub in Cocoa Beach. The club featured a popular folk singer named Trish, and Gus loved to hear her sing. When I walked in he invited me to pull up a chair. “We need to talk,” he said quietly.
I nodded and sat down. I could see he was troubled.
Over Trish’s mellow vocals he slowly began. “Jay, we need your help.”
“You got it, Gus.”
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Comments (2)
I was at the Cape and knew Jay from card games at the University Club. But more important, I was an engineer on the Apollo program as a launch team member. I was the responsible Engineer for the GSE gear for the PIB,and was at home, when the word of the fire came out. Knowing that the launch escape tower had to be removed and the required equipment was at the PIB, I went back to the MSOB to provide my services. As most GSE personnel were in lock down, I was assigned to go meetings as the GSE rep. I was the one to convince the committee to use the PIB for the tear down, not the MSOB. I prepared the PIB and was in charge of the operation of the PIB, including setting up the "cold room". I was in on all the local investigations. I listen to the tape over and over, no one then nor later reports were sure of what was said. Gus WAS NOT in his seat and the fire DID NOT start under his seat. The crew at the pad did not a good view of the inside and most learned of the fire, when the pressure vessel ruptured and smoke filled the level.
I could on about Jay's making copy sell. But I want to make some points. Why was there not a simple opening hatch, one that could be built quickly from existing designs? Maybe it was because Gus blew the hatch and lost his capsule in the Sea. Each person can have their opinion, but not many if any, thought Gus was the best. THEN " Silence". There was all kinds of actions being taken with lots of noise. Silence? perhaps because all data transmissions were lost from the spacecraft! The crew did not burn to death, they were killed by smoke inhalation, only LMP had bad burns to his legs.
I have cooled off, but I still get angry when people that should know their facts, distort them for drama. I always like Jay's reporting just not his history.
John Hill
MEPS
Posted by John Hill on November 18,2009 | 08:06 PM
I would like to thank John Hill for his many years of service to his country and NASA during, what had to be, very trying times. Very few people can speak from direct, first hand knowledege of history. Americans seem to forget what those times (Cold War) were like. Again, thank you. While I was not there and do not have first hand knowledge, I do have the benefit of docucment declassification and history through the eyes of others. Having read every book Mercury and Apollo Astronauts have written as well as thousands of pages of Goverment documents. I can say, without hesitation, that Gus did not 'blow the hatch'. I can go even further. After reviewing the schematics of the the plunger/trigger in question with other engineers (both mechanical and electrical) we can state (granted our opinion) how and why it blew. We can also state why it never blew again. (even though no change was made to the design). Mr. Hill you are correct that the Apollo Block 1 Capsul hatch design was bad, to say the least. It NEVER should have been approved for manned flight. The Block 2 Capsul was not far away and NASA and Gus knew better then to fly that design. I would like to attempt and address the comment "not many if any, thought Gud was the best" You are correct Mr. Hill we all have our opinions. I would like the opportunity to hear more of yours, truly. But, Deke Slaton, Chris Craft and Gene Krantz all spoke very highly of Gus. All tried never to rank the astronauts but had repeatidly stated that Gus was the best man to be the first on the moon. His knowledge of the Gemini & Apollo control system was second to none having aided, first hand, with its design. Gus had spent a great deal of time at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (before NASA) dealing with Areo-Space electrical engineering issues. If these three men, trusted and revered Gus before his death then that is good enough for me.
Posted by James Blankenbaker on November 1,2010 | 07:06 AM