1.
GV HELICOPTER LANDS - ASTRONAUTS OUT AND ACROSS DECK
1.30

2.
CU & SCU PRESIDENT JOHNSON SEATED (SOF)
2.38


PRESIDENT JOHNSON: "WE ARE MIGHTY GLAD YOU HAD A SAFE RETURN, AND WE ARE ALL VERY PROUD OF YOU, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU - SO DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PERSUADE HIM (EDWARD WHITE) TO COME UP TO SEE ME THIS WEEK IF I GET DOWN TO TEXAS?"



ASTRONAUTS REPLY IS GARBLED.



PRESIDENT JOHNSON: "WELL, YOU TALK TO YOUR FAMILIES AND WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN'T GET TOGETHER DOWN AT THE RANCH ABOUT FRIDAY OR SATURDAY - I'VE JUST WANT TO SAY THIS FINALLY TO THE TWO OF YOU. WHAT YOU'VE DONE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. WE CAN HOPE AND WE DO PRAY THAT THE TIME WILL COME WHEN ALL MEN OF ALL NATIONS WILL JOIN TOGETHER TO EXPLORE SPACE TOGETHER, AND WALK SIDE BY SIDE TOWARD PEACE, AND YOU TWO OUTSTANDING MEN HAVE TAKEN A LONG STRIDE FORWARD IN MANKIND'S PROGRESS. AND EVERYONE IN THIS NATION, AND, I THINK, IN THE FREE WORLD, FEELS IN YOUR DEBT."




Initials DE/B-SAT-TR/BHH/EEH


EDITORS: SOUND MUST REMAIN TURNED DOWN UNTIL 60FT 1 MIN 36 SECS. BRING UP SOUND FROM THERE TO END.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: GEMINI ASTRONAUTS JAMES McDIVITT AND EDWARD WHITE TODAY (MONDAY) ENDED THEIR FOUR-DAY ORBITAL FLIGHT, THEIR CAPSULE SPLASHED INTO THE ATLANTIC LESS THAN 46 MILES (74 KMS) FROM WHERE THE RECOVERY AIRCRAFT CARRIER "WASP" WAS WAITING. A HELICOPTER WAS QUICKLY ON THE SCENE TO PICK UP THE TWO MEN - AND IT BROUGHT THEM BACK TO A WARM WELCOME ABOARD THE CARRIER. FILM OF THEIR ARRIVAL WAS TRANSMITTED VIA THE EARLY BIRD SATELLITE TO LONDON. PRESIDENT JOHNSON JOINED THE CREW ABOARD THE CARRIER IN CONGRATULATING THE SPACEMEN: HE TELEPHONED THEM FROM THE WHITE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON.

DURING THEIR ORBITAL FLIGHT, THE TWO SPACEMEN WENT AROUND THE EARTH 62 TIMES. WHEN THEY WERE PLUCKED FROM THE SEA BY THE HELICOPTER THEIR FIRST THOUGHTS WERE FOR THEIR STOMACHS. FOR FOUR DAYS THEY HAD LIVED ON DEHYDRATED FOOD IN THE CAPSULE - AND THEY SAID THEY WERE VERY HUNGARY. DOCTORS HAVE PRONOUNCED THEM TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH.

WHEN THEY LANDED ON THE "WASP", THEY WERE GREETED BY NEARLY ALL THE CREW OF THE CARRIER. BUT THEY HAD TIME ONLY TO WAVE BRIEFLY TO THE SAILORS BEFORE THEY WERE WHISKED AWAY TO UNDERGO THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF MEDICAL CHECKS. THE CHECKS WILL GO ON FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS.

ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO CONGRATULATE THE ASTRONAUTS ON THEIR RETURN WAS PRESIDENT JOHNSON. HE TELEPHONED THEM FROM THE WHITE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON, AND SPOKE TO THE MEMBER OF THE CREW, JAMES McDIVITT.