What is Wally Schirra?
{{Infobox astronaut |name = Walter M. Schirra Jr. |birth_name = Walter Marty Schirra Jr. |image = Schirra walter 3.jpg |type = [[NASA]] [[Astronaut]] |nationality = United States |other_names = Wally Schirra |birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|3|12|mf=y}} |birth_place = [[Hackensack, New Jersey]], U.S. |death_date = {{Death date and age|2007|5|3|1923|3|12|mf=y}} |death_place = [[San Diego, California]], U.S. |occupation = [[United States naval aviator|Naval aviator]], [[test pilot]] |alma_mater = [[New Jersey Institute of Technology|Newark College of Engineering]]<br />[[United States Naval Academy|USNA]], B.S. 1945 |rank = [[File:US-O6 insignia.svg|25px]] [[Captain (United States O-6)|Captain]], [[United States Navy|USN]] |selection = [[Mercury Seven|1959 NASA Group 1]] |time = 12d 7h 12m |mission = [[Mercury-Atlas 8]]<br/>[[Gemini 6A]]<br/>[[Apollo 7]] |insignia = [[File:Mercury-8-patch.png|50px]] [[File:Gemini 6A patch.png|55px]] [[File:AP7lucky7.png|58px]] |Date of ret = July 1, 1969 |awards = {{ubl |[[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]] | [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] (3) | [[Air Medal]] (3) | [[NASA Distinguished Service Medal]] (3) | [[NASA Exceptional Service Medal]] }} }} '''Walter Marty Schirra Jr.''' ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|ɜːr|ˈ|ɑː}}, March 12, 1923 – May 3, 2007) was an American [[United States Naval Aviator|naval aviator]], [[test pilot]], and [[NASA Astronaut Corps|NASA astronaut]]. In 1959, he became one of the [[Mercury Seven|original seven]] astronauts chosen for [[Project Mercury]]. In October 1968, he commanded [[Apollo 7]], an 11-day [[low Earth orbit]] shakedown test of the three-man [[Apollo Command/Service Module]] and the first crewed launch for the [[Apollo program]]. Schirra died on May 3, 2007, of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]] caused by [[stomach cancer]] in [[San Diego, California]]. He was 84 years old.<ref>{{cite book |last=Burgess |first=Colin |titl