Milkman to the original NASA astronauts
Orton Lamb, a Wisconsin native, was married to a Texas girl for 68 years.
“It was hard to find work after the war. I didn’t have a college education. I went to watch repair school and did some watch repair work for a while. Later, I got a job as a milkman.
“When they first built Clear Lake City, I had a route down there. That’s where I got to know the original seven NASA astronauts. I delivered milk to their houses, right to their refrigerators, three times a week for several years.
“During that time, I got to know John Glenn pretty well. In fact, when he was the first one to orbit the Earth in that capsule, Mrs. Glenn had a chair saved for me right in front of their TV. The other astronauts’ wives were in there, too. The Glenns lived in a cul-de-sac, and the street was blocked off so nobody else could get in. I felt pretty special. That was an amazing time.”
— Orton Lamb
(Note: Orton Lamb passed away on Jan. 7, 2019, at age 93.)
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