Man High Commemoration
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NewsHopperTM Man High 50th Anniversary August 11, 2007 13 th 50Anniversary Man High Commemoration Please thank the advertisers for making this section possible. And a special thank you to Beverly Mindrum Johnson and the Cuyuna Country Heritage Preservation Society. Man High Schedule of Events Saturday, August 18, 2007 Sunday, August 19, 2007 9 a.m.— “Defeating Pain” symposium at The Hallett Community Center. 10 a.m.—Gathering and ceremonies at the Croft Mine Park open Session 1—Dr. Simons will speak on Trigger Point Therapy. to the public and providing an opportunity for area resi- 10:30 a.m.—Session 1—Carolyn McMakin will speak on Microcurrent Therapy. dents and other to meet the Man High participants. Noon—CATERED LUNCH provided by the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center. The Sunday schedule will include transporting guests to the Ports- Post-session informal discussion. mouth Overlook for a short ceremony. At that ceremony the Depart- 1:30 p.m.—Caravan to space presentation at the C-I High School Auditorium. ment of Natural Resources Man High II Kiosk will be unveiled. Band 2 p.m.—Dr. Simons, former Apollo Astronaut Duane Graveline and Dr. Mar- will perform military numbers. cello Vasquez, NASA liaison scientist with the Medical Department 10:45 a.m.— Return to Croft Mine Park for the Man High Ceremony. of Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, will present a Colors will be presented by the Crosby and Ironton Legion Posts; three-part symposium on cosmic radiation and other hazards to hu- Carla Gutzman & Kris Hasskamp, solists; speakers will include Dr. Da- mans of space travel. The discussion will range from what Man High II vid Simons. Four-star General Bruce Carlson and Congressman James achieved to the future challenges of space travel, which now include Oberstar. Closing prayer by Pastor Shirley Nelson. Mars. (Master of ceremonies for the program and leader of the ques- The program will be followed by a complimentary picnic lunch, after which the tion and answer session will be Kevin Taylor, Summerfield, Florida, Croft Mine Historical Park will provide participants with an oppor- who is webmaster of national sites on space and flying subjects.) tunity to tour the Croft Mine Park underground mine simulation, a 6:15 p.m.—Pre-banquet social hour, on the deck overlooking the lake, weather major Cuyuna Range attraction. permitting. Cash drinks bar. 7 to 9 p.m.—Dinner in the second floor banquet area. Pre-dinner presentation of “Man High Day” on the Cuyuna Range proclamation by Crosby clerk Complete schedule of Heritage Days Events Cindy Nelson. Short talks by two Man High guests to end the eve- ning. are on page 20. Published by the NewsHopper, 202 Minnesota Avenue North, Aitkin, MN 56431 • 218-927-6990 • www.NewsHopper.net Crosby Heritage Days • August 17 - 19 with Special Man High 50th Anniversary Celebration 14 August 11, 2007 Man High 50th Anniversary NewsHopperTM slight weakness in arms and legs. It had been the ultimate heat experiment and Man High Dream Team left a great deal for the scientific minds to pon- It was a series of adventures that were under- diation on the human der—not the least of which was McClure’s amaz- funded and that became almost forgotten as body—his body—and ing physiological reserve. It had allowed him to rocket ships orbiting the Earth quickly replaced pass along what he do what needed to be done to get back to earth balloon flights as the means of reaching the edge learned to future space when he should have been comatose or dying. of the world and traveling beyond it. explorers. Otto Winzen But the men and one woman behind the Man Of his incredible Man Otto Winzen of Winzen Research of Minneso- High series of flights that launched the Space High II adventure, Si- ta, the company he and wife Vera founded, was Age had determination, knowledge, intelligence mons said, “First my a leading spirit of Man High. He pioneered the and the conviction that they could achieve what most vivid visual mem- use of polyethylene resin for plastic balloons and they set out to do. That was basically sending a ory is of the view of made the plastics thinner and thinner until his series of three balloons made of paper-thin plas- the earth as an almost balloons were thinner than a human hair. tic to the ceiling of the world with a tiny capsule unimaginably enor- Otto Winzen helped plan the Man High mis- dangling from them. The goals—to determine mous ball from the fringes of the atmosphere. sions and assemble the pieces. Winzen Research what the problems might be, from the effects of My most enduring recollection is the purpose saved the Man High project at a time when fund- cosmic radiation to the things that can go wrong of the flight: to confirm that human exposure to ing ran out by donating the needed $14,000 to with equipment and the men behind and inside 24 hours of heavy primary cosmic radiation did keep the project going. it. not pose a serious health hazard to human space Otto narrowly escaped death while taking a po- Inside the capsule during the three flights were flight beyond the earth. The relatively innocuous tential pilot for Man High III on his final qualify- men who were willing to risk their lives for what lunar visits fully confirmed our preliminary as- ing open air balloon flight. Winzen’s throat was by any standards were hazardous missions. The sessment,” Simons wrote. cut almost from ear to ear and he suffered mul- rest of the dream team included Dr. John Paul Following the achievement of Man High II, Dr. tiple fractures when the gondola crash-landed. Stapp, Otto and Vera Winzen and a talented Simons has continued a distinguished career in The pilot candidate sustained injuries as well. ground crew. medical research, including findings that “most Winzen recovered, but his critical injuries were Joseph Kittinger musculoskeletal pain is caused by myofascial the end of his dream of piloting a space flight of Joseph Kittinger, a U.S. Air trigger points that are quite treatable, if the ex- his own. Force test pilot, balloonist aminer looks for them and knows how to treat Vera Winzen and space adventurer, was them.” Vera Winzen was the expert who made as sure, the pilot of Man High I and He has never lost his interest in space explora- as humanly possible, that the fragile plastic bal- the first to shake off the tion. loons of Man High would bonds of Earth. He went Clifton McClure survive their hazardous on to other achievements, First Lieutenant Clifton McClure, now de- journeys. Then as Vera including challenging the ceased, a ceramics engineer known as Demi to Simons, she went on to sound barrier without a his fellow crew members, become an accomplished plane. was selected as the man artist as well as the finest Kittinger also set a series of records. He was to make the final ascent in plastic balloon builder in known for quickly mastering a variety of skills Man High III. the world. She also became valuable to the early space efforts and proving he The launch at Holloman a balloonist in her own could do them all better than anyone else ever Air Force Base in New Mex- right. She created and pi- had before, from feats as a test pilot to flying bal- ico started out with a crisis loted the Da Vinci flights loons and setting records for parachute jumps inside the capsule that Mc- in 1974 and 1976 and the record-setting Da Vin- that still stand. Clure decided not to share ci Transamerica flight. All combined science and Kittinger’s letterhead identifies him as an avia- with the ground crew. The original kinetic art. tion and aerospace consultant. His career high- parachute included as part Vera Simons went on to Project Aeolus, in which lights, listed between the biplane and the balloon of the emergency equipment came loose and bur- three plastic balloons, lit from within and con- on the left side of his stationery, include these: ied the young pilot in its folds. McClure knew if nected by strings of lights, rose into the night- —Man High I on 2 June 1957. First man at he reported the problem his mission would have time New Mexico sky. She piloted one of the bal- the frontier of space—96,000 feet. to be scrubbed. And his capsule was attached to loons; another pilot was Joseph Kittinger. —Excelsior III on 16 August 1960. Highest the last balloon available to Man High. Dr. John Paul Stapp parachute jump of 102,800 feet. McClure had watched closely while the para- Dr. John Paul Stapp earned the title of “Fastest —Rosie O’Grady’s Helium Balloon in No- chute had been packed—an operation usually Man Alive” when he rode vember 1983. World’s Record Distance of 2,001 performed on a 50-foot table—and managed to his famed Sonic Wind I miles. do the job on his lap in the tiny capsule. His flight rocket-propelled sled on —Rosie O’Grady’s 14-18 September 1984. was plagued with problems, chief among which December 10, 1954 to a First Solo Transatlantic Balloon Flight. World’s was overheating of the capsule and of his own land record speed of 632 record distance of 3,543 miles. body as a result. mph in 5 seconds. He be- Dr. David Simons By the time he landed—after doing what needed came a legend among those Dr.