Moon Men Return : USS Hornet and the Recovery of the Apollo 11 Astronauts

This book documents the role played by USS Hornet (CVS-12) in the recovery of the Apollo 11 Command Module after its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on 24 July 1969. The book covers a period of time leading up to the recovery of Apollo 11, from approximately 5 June - 24 July 1969, during which crewmen of USS Hornet plus specialized NASA and DoD spaceflight recovery units prepared for the recovery operation. It offers a detailed account of those preparations, drawn from both historical records and the personal memories of 80 men who served on board USS Hornet and directly participated in the recovery operation. The purpose of this book is to document for future generations the Navy's role in the successful final phase of the historic flight of Apollo 11 - the manned spaceflight which culminated in man's first walk upon another celestial body, the moon. This detailed account draws not only on historical records but also on the memories of eighty men who served aboard the Hornet and participated in the recovery operation, including Navy UDT frogman John M. Wolfram, who was the first to reach the Apollo II astronauts. Their inside account offers deck-level perspectives of events and includes details never before documented for the public. Their stories reveal that although the recovery operation looked easy and uneventful, there were many problems to overcome Preface List of Acronyms Chapter 1: USS Hornet (CVS-12) Chapter 2: Apollo 11: The BIG one Chapter 3: Departure from Long Beach Chapter 4: Transit to Pearl Chapter 5: Pearl Chapter 6: Training at Sea Chapter 7: Final Preparations Chapter 8: UDT Detachment Apollo Chapter 9: En Route to Recovery Chapter 10: Launch Chapter 11: Return to Earth Chapter 12: The Big Day PHOTOS Bibliography About the Author Uss Hornet (cvs-12) -- Apollo 11 : The Big One -- Departure From Long Beach -- Transit To Pearl -- Pearl -- Training At Sea -- Final Preparations -- Udt Detachment Apollo -- En Route To Recovery -- Launch -- Return To Earth -- The Big Day. Scott W. Carmichael. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 219-227) And Index In an account that includes previously unpublished photos and behind-the-scenes stories from 80 men who served aboard the recovery vessel, the USS Hornet, the author describes the exciting splashdown and recovery of Apollo 11, which had just returned from its historic moon mission.