Space Recovery Missions
By USS KAWISHIWI AO-146

Most Apollo Recoveries occured in the Pacific Two occured where Kawishiwi was assigned Apollo 13....Apollo 15 The USS Kawishiwi AO-146 was secondary recovery ship and assigned logistic duties for these lunar missions ......... see: MAP ... Jon Bernard was aboard when Kawishiwi was assigned as secondary recovery vessel, 200 miles downrange of the primary recovery carrier (Iwo Jima, as I recall) for some Apollo  missions (I'd have to check which ones). We carried a full scale Apollo re-entry module & made practice approaches on it in mid-Pacific moderate sea conditions while under the watchful eye of  NASA supervisors. The Kawishiwi wasn't one to "stop on dime" from Standard speed, and on a practice recovery during which I was the OOD, I brought it in too tight and a swell slapped it into our side, rupturing the orange flotation collar around it! Fortunately it didn't sink, but after that I appreciated that Apollo re-entry flights always came close to their target and could be recovered with helo's. Other Apollo Landings

Kawishiwi crew did train for Gemini XI All Gemini Recoveries occured in the Atlantic, except  Gemini VIII The USS Kawishiwi AO-146 was not in the area to participate. See how the Kawishiwi crew prepared for recoveries in 1965.

Mercury Missions Mercury 8..........................Mercury 9

REMEMBER  COLUMBIA Dr. Laural Clark was a friend of Vern's Biology Teacher

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