Re: Apollo One, the FBI, and Scott Grissom

From: Charleston (Charleston_at_coxdotgoeshere.net)
Date: 06/04/04 

Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 10:03:40 -0700

"LaDonna Wyss" <hpywife927@yahoo.com> wrote:

<snip>

> First, forgive me but I've been a little busy so I'm not up on
> all the Internet jargo. SSM and SSH?

Sci.space is a newsgroup with several supgroups. Scott Grissom posted on
sci.space.history, (SSH) sci.space.moderated (SSM), and sci.space.shuttle
(SSS). He may have unintentionally posted on others.

> And, it's very early and the
> coffee has not kicked in yet, so while it rings a bell, the Hill
> Report?

Scott requested and was granted access to the Apollo 1 command module and
its contents some time ago. Scott found a small piece of mysterious metal
in a plastic bag along with some parts including switch 11 from the Main
Display Console (MDC) 8. He concluded that the metal piece was part of a
sabotage effort involving the Reaction Control System. Following Scott's
inital foray into the public forum via an article in the "Star", IIRC, he
contacted Congressman Sensenbrenner (R) Minnesota. Sensenbrenner then
requested that NASA investigate Scott's allegations regarding the piece of
metal that Scott found. Bill Hill led that investigation and the report is
available in its entirety at my website. Unfortunately Scott did not tell
us about the contents of the Hill report. The Hill report certainly appears
to be legitimate. It is not without minor errors but it conclusively
demonstrates that the piece of metal that Scott alleges was part of some
sabotage effort was actually cut from a small structual support bracket
underneath MDC 8 as part of the original investigation. I have reviewed all
of the MDC 8 info in the original Congressional report except for Test
Project *** number 68 (TPS). It is not included in the appendices and I
have been unable to get it from NASA via the FOIA. I live out west, but
next time I am in DC, I intend to look for TPS 68 at the College Park
Maryland National Archives office. It will hopefully answer a couple of
questions that I have about that piece of metal and its examination in 1967.

> Finally, I AGREE with you Scott is less-than-forthcoming. At the risk
> of sounding like an "apologist" (which I've already been accused of
> here), have you ever met Scott or Betty?

No, I have not met either one of them. I have corresponded by e-mail with
Scott on two or three occasions. His e-mails were excellent and
demonstrated an excellent attention to detail, a clear analytical mind, and
genuine concern.

> If not, it's really
> difficult to explain how they view things.

I have viewed his public comments, the Hill report, news articles, his
website, etc.. I even listened to the audio at his website which includes
some commentary from his mother. I did so objectively. I went to the
trouble of obtaining the Hill report via the FOIA on my own. I draw my
conclusions based on what I have learned in that process. I certainly have
sympathy for both of them.

> They are extremely
> cynical, understandably so. That family has really been through it
> over the years. Ironically, if you ask Scott (and I have on multiple
> occasions), he will tell you he is not cynical in the least. It's so
> deeply buried he does not even recognize it. He is a study in
> contrast; on the one hand he does repeated interviews on this subject,
> on the other, he plays his cards very close to the vest. I'd have to
> have one of my teammates come on here and explain the psychology
> behind this, but he HAS explained it to me on numerous occasions and
> given Scott's life history his behavior is completely understandable.
> Please try to bear that in mind when/if he returns to this message
> board and continues his dialogue. He (and his mother) does not know
> who to trust, and they never put more of about a millimeter of
> themselves out there at a time because they are always waiting to be
> "shot at."

To me it is quite simple. Either Scott "plays his cards" in the court of
public opinion, or he plays a game of whodunnit in which he is the sole
arbiter of the facts. I am not interested in a one-side game--just the
scientific facts that either corroborate or discredit his theory. Until he
is willing to lay his cards on the table, there is nothing further to
discuss. Not that his life history is unimportant, but it does nothing to
help us understand his allegations. I would actually be willing to review
anything that would shed new light on his understanding of what happened.

> Frankly, that is why I am on the scene. I've had this same dialogue
> with the Inspector General's office. They were confused as to why I
> contacted them rather than the Grissom's. The answer is: They are
> damaged goods. Perhaps this will help you to understand: Imagine
> being a teenager and losing your father not only under terrible
> circumstances but under the relentless scrutiny of the world.

I can imagine that.

> Add to
> that NASA never providing counselling for the families, and add to
> THAT the fact that the boys were back in school the day after the
> funeral.

It was a different time and there was no grief counselling back then.
People were expected to bury their grief with the dead. A difficult task
indeed when your family member is the victim of a preventable national
tragedy.

> If you remember your school days, you can imagine the crap
> they were exposed to. Additionally, these boys were raised to be
> "tough"; they had no outlet for their emotions whatsoever, not even at
> home because (bless her heart) Betty is an extremely tough lady. So,
> swallow all of that rage and pain for 37 1/2 years, and you might
> start to understand Scott Grissom.
> I'm NOT his apologist; it is extremely frustrating to watch him
> sometimes. But I have come to understand some of what I see. I hope
> this helps you.

Mary Zornio was similarly affected by her encounters with Scott. He
withheld the Hill report from her too. She was deeply hurt to learn of its
existence as it was a real unexpected zinger for her as I recall. If you
have not read the Hill report, I urge you to do so at my little website
listed below. 

-- 
Daniel
http://www.challengerdisaster.info
Mount Charleston, not Charleston, SC
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