Gordon "Gordo" Cooper dead at 77

Edit [Moderator]: Moved from General to General News.

When I was a kid, astronauts were the absolute coolest, most heroic, most envied people around and Gordo Cooper was one of the swooniest. I remember being very small and going to a parade, madly waving our little flags as Gordo rode past in an open car. Everyone wanted to be an astronaut. Even Barbie.

Reading his obituary in today's paper got me thinking about how there aren't many "hero" occupations any more. Sure there are police, and fire fighters and soldiers and cowboys and things you might want to be when you grow up but nothing seems to capture the 1960s glamour of astronauts.

<sigh>

I think I need to call mom today....