Jim Davis wrote in message .1.4...
Rick DeNatale wrote:

Oh yeah there's another one I forgot. On page 332 Thompson
relates the meeting of Al Shepard and Charles Lindbergh, and
has them "laughing" at how Shepard's capsule and "The Spirit
of St. Louis" had both been built in St. Louis.

Some joke indeed, since Lindbergh no doubt knew full well that
the "Spirit" had been designed and built in San Diego, since
he was there at the time and had contracted Ryan to do the
job.

But isn't it possible that Shepard *didn't* know the Spirit had
been built in San Diego and that Lindbergh, being polite, didn't
correct him? Perhaps Shepard and Lindbergh were laughing for
different reasons?

There's no real reason to suppose the incident didn't happen just
because somebody got their facts wrong. Remember President Carter's
"Apollo 2" remarks on the 10th anniversary of Apollo 11.

Jim Davis

Reminds me of Pres Johnson and the RS-70 / SR-71 flubbup.
Gene