USA: FUNERAL OF ASTRONAUT PETE CONRAD

(20 Jul 1999) Natural Sound

One of America's most revered space pioneers has been buried as the nation prepares to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.

Pete Conrad, the third man to walk on the moon, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D-C.

The service was attended by fellow space giants Neil Armstrong -- the first man to walk the moon -- and former U-S Senator John Glenn, who last year made a historic return trip to space as the world's oldest space traveler.

Also on hand were Conrad's Apollo 12 colleague Alan Bean, as well as fellow astronauts Walter Cunningham and James Lovell.

Pete Conrad, who endeared himself to Americans by stepping onto the moon with a shout of "Whoopee!" 30 years ago, was buried on Monday surrounded by his family and many of the pioneering astronauts who ventured into space with him.

Conrad, the third man to walk on the moon, was killed in a highway crash on July 8 while riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle along a winding road in Southern California.

He was 69.

His burial at Arlington National Cemetery brought together some of the nation's space giants, including Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk the moon, former Senator John Glenn, who last year made a return trip to space as the world's oldest astronaut.

Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean, Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham and Apollo 8 astronaut James Lovell also attended.

Conrad, an Apollo 12 astronaut, stepped onto the moon on November 19, 1969 - four months after Armstrong's historic moonwalk and his proclamation that it was "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Tuesday is the 30th anniversary of Armstrong's feat.

Besides the "Whoopee" remark, the fun-loving Conrad declared, "Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me."

At his burial, a horse-drawn carriage carried Conrad's casket from a nearby military chapel as his widow, Nancy, sons and other mourners walked behind.

A group of F-14 Tomcat aircraft flew over the service and a U-S Navy firing party fired three shots.

Conrad was a captain with the U-S Navy when he joined NASA's astronaut program in the 1960's.

A Navy band played "Eternal Father" as the casket was loaded from the caisson.

Several of the former astronauts eulogized Conrad during the earlier funeral service.

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