As part of our ongoing Apollo@50 series, Dave visits with Dee O'Hara, the "nurse to the astronauts." Hired by NASA in November 1959, Dee was a pivotal health care provider, deeply trusted by the astronauts and their families.
From The Right Stuff original Mercury 7 astronauts like John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and Wally Schirra, through the Apollo astronauts from the first man to walk on the Moon (Neil Armstrong) to the last (Gene Cernan), Dee O'Hara was there, and a legendary part of that early spaceflight history. From taking blood samples right before launch to treating astronaut kids for ear infections, Dee was one of NASA's most trusted persons.
And she is STILL working for NASA a few times a week to this day at the Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Amazing stories about the pioneering days of the space program, Dee O'Hara's conversation with Dave is a must for anyone interested in NASA's early tragedies and triumphs.
