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2016 Horizon Models Space Pioneer - Kirk Schermerhorn, USA

Kirk's neatly built model is that of Gordon Cooper’s MA-9 flight.

Kirk's late father, W. “Gary” Woodham, served aboard the USS Kearsarge as an Aerographers mate when they took part in Project Mercury as the recovery ship for flights MA-8 and MA-9.

Here at Horizon Models, we understand that the incredible story of the space race was the work of many individuals and we believe in celebrating all their stories.

Kirk shares with us the following letters his father wrote home. They give us a great insight into what it must have been like to be on board during a recovery:

Letter home October 4, 1962

 “Just a few lines to say hello and to let you in on some of the space news I am in the middle of. Yesterday Schirra came sailing out of nowhere and landed in the water just ahead of the carrier. We had little trouble picking him up and getting him out of his spacecraft. I was up for 36 straight hours with the flight. I saw it when he opened his shoot on the capsule and started drifting down. I had my camera so I have two and a half rolls of film of him. The Kearsarge really made history in picking him up. They had the capsule on display and naturally I had to see it all.

We had to put a lot of work into it but it was worthwhile. I just hope all my film turns out okay. By the way, did you see any newsreels of us on TV? The other two astronauts came aboard today to see Schirra and to discuss the trip. All of it was very interesting and educational. If you have a slide projector to show my slides I’d send them home for you to see. I have around 10 boxes of them.

We will get back to Hawaii the 6th. Schirra will then be flown off the ship to an air base to fly on to Texas somewhere. Before we can come back to the States we have to train some Marine flyers and then go back to Long Beach for a couple of weeks. In the last week I’ve never seen so many reporters and officers as we have had here on the ship for the astronaut shot. There have been several different rumors on the next shot and where we go next but nothing that will come true.

 I’ll really be glad to see some land again. I haven’t been on land in 2 weeks. I’ve yet to get sea sick but some land would really look good. How is everything at home. What did everybody think of the shot. The kid here was right in the middle of it! It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Letter home May 18, 1963

“Just a few lines to say hello and to send you a picture of myself in front of the capsule that Cooper made his 22 orbits in, be sure to save it because it means a lot to me.

These last two astronaut pickups have been the only thing worthwhile that has happened to me since I've been on the Kearsarge. It does make you feel great when you see the capsule re-enter the atmosphere and land just off from the ship. It makes you feel like all of your hard work has not been for nothing.

By now you and the whole world know of the U.S. space flight and the recovery of the capsule by the Kearsarge. Since I have been here on the Kearsarge I have been right in the middle of the making of History. Someday my children will read of the pickups of the Kearsarge as the U.S. advances in the space race. Tonight we had a talk given by Cooper himself where he talked about his flight and thanked us all for our work and success in bringing him back to Earth. It's a shame it’s the enlisted men who did all the work yet all the officers get the credit for it. It's too bad they don't ask me what I think about it because I’d tell them or bust!

I took around three roles of slides. I hope they turn out. If they do I'll have some wonderful slides. We will be back in Pearl Harbor tomorrow and out again Thursday. This last month we have really put in a lot of time out at sea. I never thought I'd see the day where I had rather be at Sea than in Port but I had rather be at Sea than in Port in Hawaii. When we deploy for Japan the captain of the Kearsarge has put out the word that we can grow beards. I'm growing a mustache now as you can tell in the picture so I guess I'll have to grow a beard to go with the mustache. I'm also enclosing a ship's paper be sure to save all this for me. You let all the relatives see them but be sure and not lose them. Be sure to save all the write-ups we get in the paper in Newport News.”

2016 Horizon Models Space Pioneer - R. L. Lanning, Colonel, USAF (Retired), USA

Great work Randall!

2016 Horizon Models Space Pioneer - K Sherwood, UK

Keith has built two kits - Mercury-Atlas MA-6 mission and an Atlas ICBM with a MK 4 RV.