Apollo Confidential by Viglietti Lukas;Duke Charlie;

Author:Viglietti, Lukas;Duke, Charlie; [Lukas Viglietti]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2019-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

[Chapter_7]

MOUNTAIN EXCURSION

The first time I met Jim Irwin was in 1981 at a talk he gave near Tramelan, the village I come from in Switzerland. I was twelve years old, and it changed my life. I can remember today that he had a rocker’s face and a devastating, handsome smile. But he was sweet, almost shy, rather short and thin, and dressed in a jacket that was far too big for him. His speech was a long way from the heroic epic tale I expected. That day, I realized that achieving great things was not magic, and that with hard work and determination, anything was possible.

Later, as I got to know Irwin better, I realized that he was indeed the type of hard-working guy who was so determined he seemed stubborn. He was also a deeply religious man who devoted all his attention and affection to his wife and their five children rather than working to make friends among colleagues. Once you hear Jim Irwin’s story, you will probably say that none of the people who knew him before he entered NASA would have bet he would walk on the Moon.

Jim Irwin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His mother Elsa took care of the home, while his father James was a plumber and steamfitter. When Jim Irwin was young, his father looked after the pipes at the Carnegie Foundation Museum, so Jim had memories of waiting for him for hours in the company of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. His father was not happy living where winters were cold, so the family moved to Florida. There the pride of this working-class father was to enable the family to live in a beautiful house in a good neighborhood.

One day Irwin was on his way to the Methodist church with his mother and younger brother Chuck when they stopped at a Baptist church instead. He said they were attracted for some unknown reason. They stayed for the service, and he was impressed and moved by it. Irwin has said he found his faith that day.

Little Jim Irwin worked many odd jobs to help his family make ends meet. He was a coconut seller, pulling his goods in a small red cart. He also worked for a Jewish antique dealer. The shop was in a tough neighborhood and the customers were demanding, but he was well behaved and helpful and quickly became the mascot of the place. In the winter, the children in his family had to chop firewood. Jim was once performing this chore when he lost part of his thumb.

His father’s parenting was at times comical. He would repeat, “All those girls only want your money! They’re like gold-diggers running after you. And they will give you lots of diseases.” Jim Irwin laughed as he admitted that their house was not the best place to invite future girlfriends. Nevertheless, he was attached to his home and his parents. His mother spent a lot of time with him gently explaining the world of adults.

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