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Cadet Chuck Lassen:
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| Check out Chuck's comments at Rory Coker's Roarings Rocket Site. |
It was my very great privilege to meet ranking Space Cadets; Ed Pippin, Chuck Lassen, Jack McKirgan, and one of the Grand Cadets, Jan Merlin. To meet one of the prime members of The Solar Guard was an honor to say the least!! A true gentleman, Grand Cadet Jan and I spoke at length on a wide range of interests. Brash in his youth, this seasoned Cadet spoke quite eloquently of the great affection he has for the fans of Space Cadet, as well as his affection for all of the classic shows, their stars and their loyal fans. I was the first Space Ranger to speak with him in a while and he seemed to take great pleasure in our conversations. His and mine only regret was that we could not spend much more time conversing on our many subjects of interest, a very great diversity worthy of many hours of fond talk and remembrances.
I was privileged to see a forging of new friendships between The Grand Cadet and my new friends; Cadets, Ed, Chuck and Jack. I hope too to be included in The Grand Cadet's new activities, I would consider it to be a very great honor!!
As a Space Ranger and member of The Solar Guard I must tell you that our numbers are growing, and the Solar System is in good hands, for we receive our guidance from all the Great Ones who led the way for us all! Our brothers of the Space Patrol, Video Rangers, Rocket Rangers, the followers of Captain Midnight, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Dr, Who, Trekers and many more stand for values that are in short supply lately, so keep the stars in your sites, we shall prevail.
Well fellow cadets of The Solar Guard, I must sign off for now, Spaceman's Luck, over and out,
To say the event was a joy would be an understatement. The Williamsburg Festival was a full circle for me. I grew up in the Williamsburg area and saw my first television set and Saturday morning show as a child in Williamsburg. The first show I saw on that television set was a broadcast of Tom Corbett. Jan Merlin was there as Roger Manning along with Frankie Thomas and Al Markim. The images of space flight and the hope of a generation were “imprinted’ on me for many years. From that time forward, those early shows would set the standard for my Sense of Wonder.Now almost 50 years later the circle was completed. I meet one the images known as Roger Manning from the tiny screen I had viewed so many years ago and the meeting was a real pleasure!! Jan and Barbara Merlin were REAL people who gave us their full time and attention during our visits. Thanks for making the trip to Williamsburg and completing the circle for this cadet.
It was also a time to share the event with fellow cadets who had traveled to this Port of Call for the purpose of meeting and greeting Jan and each other. It was great fun and I hope we can do it again in the near future. Thanks Chuck, Jack and Mike for making the trip such a fun time. I look forward to future events where we can all get together.
I hope the meeting of fellow cadets can be repeated at other conventions. After all, these early shows are the “root” of many of today’s SF television shows. In the meantime....
STAND BY TO RAISE SHIP.......... and SPACEMAN”S LUCK
