Volume 44- No. 19
by Mark Carlson
In May 1969, Charles Schulz drew a Peanuts series with Snoopy landing on the Moon. The occasion was the flight of Apollo 10 for the ‘dress rehearsal’ of Apollo 11 two months later. Apollo 10’s Lunar Module was named Snoopy.
While the famous cartoon beagle may have been the first to set foot ... er, paw on the lunar surface, Snoopy orbited at an altitude of 50,000 feet. At Snoopy’s controls were Gemini 9 veterans Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan.
And one day nearly forty years later, the two astronauts met another famous dog. Not The Paper - 760.747.7119
website:www.thecommunitypaper.com
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May 09, 2013
a beagle but a yellow Labrador named Musket. At the San Diego Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park Musket was famous. He was friendly, lovable and well-behaved. But that’s not only why the staff, volunteers and patrons loved him. He was my Guide dog.
I’m legally blind and work full-time. But on weekends I volunteered as a tour guide, talking about the almost seventy vintage and reproduction aircraft and artifacts from the history of aviation. Musket was essential to our work. I knew about the collection and its history. But Musket knew the layout and location of every aircraft and display.
Patrons came to the museum and asked for a tour. Then I showed up in my red coat, led by Musket. I could almost feel the raised eyebrows. “Hello,” I said, smiling. “Welcome to the Museum. My name is Mark and I’ll be guiding you today.” Then I waited a second and continued, “Well, I’ll do the talking but Musket here does the walking. He even has a docent badge.” That always broke the ice. Musket was a favorite with his lovely face and wagging tail. He steered me around obstacles and stopped at each plane, while I told the history and anecdotes about the display. I often used him in my talks. For instance when we arrive
Photo of Musket/Space Helmet by Linda Stull
at the WWII Douglas Dauntless, I talked about the plane’s history. Musket got my attention by nudging my leg. I knew he wanted a treat. But I bent over and said, “Yes, little buddy?” A moment later, I stand and say with a smile, ‘Oh, that’s right. The call sign of this plane’s pilot was ‘Jig Dog.’ Thank you Musket.” This always got a laugh and he then got his treat.
Many people were amazed at how well I got around the museum, but I can’t take any credit. Musket was the champ. He learned fast and charmed everybody. Fidgety kids loved to pet him during the tour. Being a blind tour guide did have its advantages.
“From the Moon to Musket” Continued on Page 2