The USS Austin (LPD-4) & the Apollo Recovery Program

The NASA Apollo moon program is near & dear to my heart even though I had no family personally involved with this amazing project.

The last ship my father, Cdr. Stanley G. Cooper served on was the USS Austin LPD-4  (Landing Platform Dock) from 1 Nov 1965 - 31 Jan 1967 as the Executive Officer. 

In a letter dated 30 July 1966, Stan wrote to his family stating “FLASH - South Atlantic in OCT-NOV for space recovery ship - AUSTIN.” 

In a letter dated 9 Aug 1966, Stan stated, "I am sure we will get involved in training for the capsule recovery techniques. Will be involved in a capsule recovery in the vicinity of the Ascension Islands (South Atlantic-midway between South America & Africa). It appears we will be the primary recovery ship so we ought to draw a little publicity. Maybe a good liberty port in Africa or South America while we are there. The whole trip ought to involve about six weeks in total.” 

This is all my father mentioned in his letters. Of course, he was relating to the Apollo 1 spacecraft planned to take-off the following year, on 21 February 1967.

Apollo 1 crew: Ed White, 'Gus' Grissom & Roger Chaffee

Unfortunately, the Apollo 1 tragedy took place on Friday, January 27, 1967; this manned rocket was determined to be the first low Earth orbital test of the Apollo command & service module with a crew. A cabin fire happened during a launch rehearsal test killing all three astronauts - Command Pilot Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Senior Pilot Ed White, and Pilot  Roger B. Chaffee destroying the command module.

On Tuesday morning, 31 January; my mother after kissing her husband goodbye, fixed herself a cup of coffee, sat down to watch the funeral for two of the astronauts Grissom & Chaffe. 

Driving himself with another officer, en route to the USS Austin on the Naval Station Norfolk, they were struck by a military vehicle in the early morning. Commander Cooper was killed after receiving direct contact from the approaching truck. His partner, Lt. Frederick Weisenberger survived the accident. 

My father’s internment was the following week also at Arlington National Cemetery where he was buried only 3 plots away from Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee.

My father would have been very proud of working with the Apollo Recovery Program if he had lived to participate in acquiring the astronauts of the Apollo 12 (Nov 1969) & the Apollo 15 (Aug 1971) aboard the USS Austin along with other participating ships.