Walter Marty "Wally" Schirra Jr. (March 12, 1923 - May 3, 2007), (CAPT, USN), was an American naval aviator and astronaut. He was one of the original seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury, the first effort by the United States to put humans in space. On October 3, 1962, he flew a six-orbit, nine-hour, Mercury-Atlas 8 mission becoming the fifth American, and ninth human, to travel to space. In the two-man Gemini program, he achieved the first space rendezvous, station-keeping his Gemini 6A spacecraft within 1 foot (30 cm) of the sister Gemini 7 spacecraft in December 1965.
Military service
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Schirra was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy in 1945. Schirra served during the final months of World War II aboard the large cruiser USS Alaska. Following the Japanese surrender, Schirra returned to America, where the USS Alaska was decommissioned. Schirra was stationed in Tsingtao, where he was assigned to the USS Estes. Following his return from China, Schirra began training as a Naval Aviator at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.  After he completed training, Schirra received his wings in 1948 and joined Fighter Squadron 71 (VF-71) at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. In VF-71, Schirra flew the F8F Bearcat. After several years flying the F8F Schirra attended jet transition training with the F-80 Shooting Star in preparation for his squadron's transition to the jet-powered F9F Panther. Schirra was deployed to the Mediterranean aboard the USS Midway at the outbreak of the Korean War, and volunteered for an exchange program with the U.S. Air Force to get combat experience. Schirra was selected for the exchange, and trained to fly on the F-84 Thunderjet.  Schirra was initially deployed with the 154th Fighter-Bomber Squadron to Itazuke Air Force Base in Japan, from where he flew missions into South Korea. As U.S. troops pushed north, the squadron was reassigned to a base in Daegu. In the 8 month deployment, Schirra flew 90 combat missions and downed two MiG-15s.  After completing his tour in Korea, Schirra became a test pilot at Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake, California (NOTS). At China lake, he tested various weapons systems, including becoming the first pilot to fly with and fire the Sidewinder missile. Schiraa was assigned to Miramar Naval Air Station to test the newest Navy jet fighter, the F7U Cutlass. Schirra was subsequently assigned to NAS Moffett to begin transition training to the Cutlass, and subsequently the F3H Demon. After a deployment to Asia aboard the USS Lexington and aviation safety training at the University of Southern California, Schirra was accepted to the United States Naval Test Pilot School in 1958.  Schirra was a member of class 20 at the Naval Test Pilot School, along with future fellow astronauts Jim Lovell and Pete Conrad, where he learned to fly numerous aircraft, including the F4D Skyray, the F11F Tiger, and the F8U Crusader. After graduation, Schirra was assigned as a test pilot at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Schirra learned to fly the F4H Phantom to determine if it could become a carrier-based aircraft.

Q: What military service was Wally apart of?
A: Schirra was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy in 1945. Schirra served during the final months of World War II

Q: After the War did he still serve in the service?
A: Following his return from China, Schirra began training as a Naval Aviator at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
What was his role while training there?
After he completed training, Schirra received his wings in 1948 and joined Fighter Squadron 71 (VF-71) at Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
After he completed training, Schirra received his wings in 1948 and joined Fighter Squadron 71 (VF-71) at Quonset Point, Rhode Island.