Yesterday I turned in my badges at the United Space Alliance.
My NASA career started when Susan and I were re-assigned from Egypt
to Houston. The only thing I knew about the Space Shuttle was what I
had read in Time magazines bought on the streets in Cairo.
When we arrived at the Houston House, Susan stayed "in house" and I
was assigned to work. Larry Henschen helped me arrange an interview
with McDonnell Douglas, a NASA contractor. I had never programmed a
computer and had no qualification other than a Master's degree in
mathematics and an "all-but-thesis" not-quite-a-PhD. In retrospect,
those were great credentials, since the state of computer programming
when I was in college was using punch cards. When I was working
programming NASA's first Unix computers, I remember thinking "I wish
I had studied Unix in college" - then realizing that Unix didn't
exist when I was in college! But the principles and laws of
mathematics and physics I learned in the late 60's have stood up very
well. My career has been spent in the abstract world of mathematical
models of gravity, drag, solar pressure, and accelerations - space,
the final frontier. Hard to beat that.
I missed the first four shuttle flights but arrived in time for
STS-5. My first project was an analysis of the shuttle drag model. My
supervisors weren't watching closely, so I learned FORTRAN on a
UNISYS mainframe and implemented my results in a program called HOPE.
(There was another program called LOVE, but not one called FAITH.)
Shortly thereafter I was re-assigned as a programmer, and remained a
software developer (and software project manager) for my whole
career, which extended more then a year past the last Shuttle flight
in July 2011. I ended up working for various NASA contractors for a
bit over 30 years.
Shortly after I started at NASA, Larry Henschen and I were
instrumental in helping Lynn Oden, another Houston House order
member, in also getting a job. For a few years Lynn and I commutred
together. Lynn retired a few years ago, having had a fine career as
a Shuttle Navigation Flight Controller.
Susan and I never "left" the Houston House; it melted away around us
as the Order transitioned away from corporate living. Conna Wilkinson
was the last one to leave when she moved back to Oklahoma. So Susan
and I turned out the lights of the Houston House and got an
apartment, and later bought a house. I am grateful today for all the
experiences we had assigned to San Franscisco, San Jose, Melbourne,
Adelaide, Bayad, and finally Houston. Susan and I arrived in Houston
with no assets but no debts in our mid-thirties, and are now both
retired. We still have no debts, but now we have a few assets. I
amazed that that was possible!
I am still working with a small group of your colleagues keeping the
wedgeblade.net glue connecting our far flung community alive.
Retirement is, of course, just another "assignment" to new
challenges.
Tim Wegner
Last week was a time for major events in Chicago connected with ICA's 50th
Anniversary. One was more external while the other was more internal.
On Saturday, September 15, ICA-USA was the organizing sponsor for the
"Accelerate 77" Share Fair. This event has dramatically re-positioned us
for the sake of expanding our national programs. Several colleagues from
across the country were present. If you would like to see some photos and
video, click on the following link:
http://ica.site-ym.com/news/news.asp?id=103496
Two days before, we had an unveiling of the an art piece which will serve
hang at 4750 for the next 50 years. The artist, Gina Alicea, named the
completed piece "Ocean of Devotion." You can view her description about the
work on the following link:
*
*
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/25387580
The work consists of more than a thousand pieces of cloth. On each appears
written information that originated from one of three sources. First, about
350 pieces name deceased staff members and colleagues who worked at one
time or another with EI/OE/ICA during the past 50 years. Others identify
important past programs and projects --- RS-1, the Academy, and 24 Human
Development Projects, etc. Second, several pieces highlight current
programs and supporters, e.g., Technology of Participation (ToP),
Accelerate 77 and its advisory committee, names of donors, etc.
Third, 600+ pieces were created during fifty events that occurred across
the country and around the world to mark the 50th Anniversary. Participants
at these events wrote statements on strips of cloth to express their
hopes and dreams, or, as we like to say, "claim a promise," for the next
fifty years. The piece therefore includes symbolism of ICA's past, present,
and future.
It has been a full week. I am particularly grateful that Carol Pierce
joined us at the Share Fair and celebrated our 50th Anniversary just a few
days before she passed.
Terry Bergdall
