Former Apollo 13 astrounaut recounts history Published Nov. 23, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Donald Allen 334th Training Squadron KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Air Force Association John C. Stennis Chapter 332 celebrated its return to Keesler by inviting a Biloxi native to speak who once celebrated his own triumphant return -- former Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise Jr. Mr. Haise, whose famous exploits with NASA were chronicled in the movie "Apollo 13," came to the Bay Breeze Events Center Nov. 17 to narrate a 30-minute video before turning things over to a question-and-answer session. Mr. Haise started by addressing what most people probably had on their minds, "What did you think of the 'Apollo 13' movie?" His candid response was, "The only line in the movie that was ours was, 'Houston, we've had a problem.' Everything else was theirs." The video highlighted candid footage shot by the astronauts on Apollo 13, but it went beyond the infamous space flight intoMr. Haise's post-mission adventures. He was slotted to fly on Apollo 19, which was cancelled due to budget shortfalls, but he soon began flying stunt planes. This decision ultimately led to an aircraft crash that left him with burns on more than 65 percent of his body. The skin grafts he required would normally need a pin to be inserted into his ankle, but the surgery to insert the pin would have prevented him from returning to flying status, ending any chance of flying for NASA. A team of doctors, colleagues and friends came together to help devise a device that would perform the same function as the pin, but without the need for surgery. This allowed him to make a full recovery and return to flight status. When an audience member asked Mr. Haise what his finest moment had been in his career, he replied without hesitation, "Being the first person to fly the Space Shuttle Enterprise during flight testing." When a Boy Scout asked Mr. Haise if he had ever seen an alien,Mr. Haise replied, "Never seen any aliens, and I've never seen any proof to convince me, either." When asked about physical fitness, he responded wryly, "Well, I probably shouldn't be saying this, but we did not care much about it. I used to run five times a week, but Neil Armstrong never worked out. No, he used to say he didn't 'want to waste a heartbeat on it'" Mr. Haise also offered advice to Keesler's instructors, officers and noncommissioned officers. "Find the things in your students that they're interested in and drive them towards the mission," he recommended. "By helping them make goals that support the mission while keeping them interested, it makes them feel like a real part of the mission." Lt. Col. Janet Pattison, chapter president, presented Mr. Haise a commemoration certificate that highlighted his career and support of aeronautics. To view the tribute, visit http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.asp?ID=1197.