Alan B. Shepard, Jr.

	ALAN B. SHEPARD, JR. Rear Admiral, USN First U.S. Astronaut
	Born November 18, 1923, East Derry, New Hampshire. Graduate U.S. Naval Academy 1944. Rated naval aviator 1947. Naval War College 1958. His outstanding record as a test pilot with several thousand hours complex experimental flying, played a major role in his selection as one of the original U.S. astronauts. America's first astronaut, piloting the Mercury spacecraft "Freedom 7" through its successful suborbital flight to an altitude of 116 miles on May 5, 1961, to pioneer the way for the great space voyages to follow. Although grounded from further space flight due to a severe and normally permanent physical disability, he remained with the space program -- and his conquest of this impairment became a classic odyssey in dedication and perseverance, culminating in his walk on the moon as commander of the Apollo XIV mission.
	Elected to the International Aerospace Hall of Fame 1971