Posted by Jane Shambra on Dec 3rd 2024
This article was originally written by Jane Shambra under the title "Biloxi's Tribute to Fred Haise" for BNews Monthly, the monthly newsletter of the City of Biloxi.Photographs courtesy of the LHG Image Collection / Local History & Genealogy Department / Harrison County Library System unless otherwise specified.
On February 13, 2022, the City of Biloxi unveiled a statue dedicated to Fred Haise — Biloxi native, astronaut and fighter pilot. Let’s takea look at his years in Biloxi and the honorsbestowed on Biloxi’s hero.
Fred Wallace Haise Jr. was born in Biloxi toLucille and Fred Haise Sr. on Nov. 14, 1933.The 1940 Census confirms that Fred, age 6,was living with his parents on Church Street,and his dad was a mechanic for the U.S.Veterans Facility.
As a youngster, Fred was nicknamed“Pecky,” which he acquired when he becamea woodpecker in an elementary school play.
Fred’s schooling began in Biloxi wherehe attendedSacred HeartAcademy, GorenfloElementary, HowardI Elementary,and Biloxi Juniorand Central Highschools.Having excelledacademically,Fred was able tograduate early,at age 16. Aftergraduation in1950, he went toPerkinston Junior College and the Universityof Oklahoma where he received a Bachelorof Science with honors in AeronauticalEngineering. This accomplished student alsoreceived a doctorate of science from WesternMichigan University and attended HarvardBusiness School.
Fred‘s military career included service inthe Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and AirNational Guard. He accumulated at least9,300 hours of flying time, including 6,200hours in jets.
The Early Days
Fred was an accomplished Biloxi BoyScout, a member of the Wilkes’ Troop 212group, where he learned the motto “AlwaysBe Prepared.” This training and dedicationcame in handy during the trials andtribulations of his Apollo 13 voyage.
Write On
Fred’s apparent firstcalling was to be ajournalist. Located inthe Biloxi Library, thereis a very delicate BiloxiHigh School Hi-Tidenewspaper with ourhero’s name clearlyprinted as the 1948Sports Editor.He even worked asa paperboy six daysa week for the DailyHerald newspaper.
While in high school and on college vacations, Fred continued towork for the newspaper.A little-known fact about his Apollo 13 flightis that he carried along a tiny edition of theDaily Herald in one of his space suit pockets.He specifically chose the July 21, 1969publication since it reported the first landingon the moon.We wonder where that souvenir is today!
Street Signs
In April 1970, three Biloxi youngsters,Dann and Darel Balius and Stan Dellenger,manufactured their own street sign, Fred HaiseSt. and hung it below the existing “Church St.”sign”, the street where the Haise family wasreared. This inspired many projects.
On May 11, 1970, Biloxi City Councilofficially changed Fred’s hometown street fromChurch St. to Haise St.Likewise, the City also honored our belovedastronaut by renaming Central Beach betweenMain and Porter to Fred Haise Blvd. Thesestreet signs stayed in place until the latter1980s when that section of Hwy. 90 wasassigned the designation of West Beach Blvd.
Fred Haise Day
By mid-April 1970, the Biloxi Chamberof Commerce, under the direction of EmileFallo Jr., Walter Fountain, Jake Mladinich,and Steve Sekul, organized a committeeresponsible for coordinating all special“Welcome Home” events along the Coast.
Our Biloxi hero arrived from Houston atKeesler Air Force Baseon the evening of May7, 1970 in a specialNASA plane.
The City of Biloxideclared Fred HaiseDay, which actuallylasted two days — May8 and 9 — with multiplecelebrations includinga parade, a banquet,special visits to schools,speeches, and meetingswith dignitaries.
A special emblemwas also designed tocommemorate FredHaise Day.
Then-Mayor DannyGuice joined forces withKeesler AFB officials in a formal ceremonywelcoming Fred’s returnhome. Keesler hosted anofficial ceremony whichincluded music by their502nd Air Force Band.
The two-hour paradewas held on Saturday,May 9 and began near Central High Schooland travelled west on Howard to Main, thenvoyaged to Beach Blvd. where it continuedwesterly from there. Along the route, Haisestopped at City Hall, for a special celebrationhosted by Mayor Guice.
It was televised live and in color by WLOX-TV-13 as well as via WLOX radio station1490. In those days, the station’s motto was“Be Sure and Stay Tuned.
Our hero also scheduled a special visit to the Keesler Hospital where he visited the bedsides of American service men andwomen who had been wounded in Vietnam.
The Big Screen
In 1995, the award-winning movie "Apollo13" was released by Universal City Studios,twenty-five years after Fred’s historic flight intoouter space.This 2 hour and 20-minute film was directedby Ron Howard, with Bill Paxton starring asour Biloxi astronaut and accompanied by TomHanks, Kevin Bacon, and Gary Sinise.
Biloxi’s United Artists Surfside 4 theateroffered this PG rated film. Once upon a time,this theater was located between Hunan’sChinese Restaurant and Eckerd’s Drug Storeon Hwy. 90 (then called West Beach). Duringthat year, The Sun Herald newspaper onlyadvertised three general movie theaters withinthe city limits, not including the SaengerTheatre which had already been designatedas a theatrical arts locale.
The movie has left an everlasting quote thatwe will all remember: “Houston, we have aproblem”, uttered by astronaut Jim Lovell. Inactuality, the official NASA tape recorded“Ahh, Houston, we’ve had a problem”. Thereis not much of a difference in the wording, butthe scary message remains the same.
Today, this Apollo 13 movie is available forstreaming online as well as on DVD (releasedin 1998) and at many of the Harrison CountyLibraries.
Upon Apollo 13’s return to the earth,Biloxians weren’t the only ones celebrating.The landing of the Apollo 13 aircraft wascertainly a cliffhanger worldwide. Peopleacross the globe were glued to their televisionsand radio stations awaiting the hopeful newsof a safe return to planet earth. Church bellsrang everywhere, and even Pope Paul VI inRome was prayerfully tuned in as he watchedFred’s successful splashdown.
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