Included along with the glossies was this "Leave Authorization" request signed by none other than Alan Shepard. I like to imagine that Garino was requesting time off to work on yet another scheme. We'll never know. 
In The Beginning
Before they were moonwalkers they were newly minted astronauts. These vintage glossy photos show the astronauts at a simpler time in their careers. The inscriptions are all to Joe Garino, NASA's Physical Condition Specialist. Many of the astronauts simply signed their first name - a sign perhaps of how close they were to Garino. Of the inscriptions, I am particularly intrigued by the one from John Young calling Garino "the world's greatest cumshaw artist." A "cumshaw" is apparently a present or gratuity, often a piece of needed equipment that appears when needed (while at the same time a similar item disappears from another unit). A "cumshaw artist" is generally prized within a unit for his ability to provide such items - and few questions are asked.
Included along with the glossies was this "Leave Authorization" request signed by none other than Alan Shepard. I like to imagine that Garino was requesting time off to work on yet another scheme. We'll never know.
Included along with the glossies was this "Leave Authorization" request signed by none other than Alan Shepard. I like to imagine that Garino was requesting time off to work on yet another scheme. We'll never know. 