July 22, 1961 - Capt. Virgil I. Grissom (center) disclosed today he had been "scared" during much of his flight into space yesterday. But then the seasoned veteran of 100 fighter combat missions in Korea said: "I have been scared a few times before." He recommended a space trip for everyone because the view is so "fascinating." After the flight, Captain Grissom was forced to plunge hurriedly into the water when the escape hatch suddenly blew off the side of the capsule, letting water pour into the spacecraft. As Captain Grissom put it, the sudden release of the escape hatch was "without doubt the biggest shock of the day for me." "I was just lying there minding my own business when - pow! the hatch went," he said. "I looked up and I saw nothing but blue sky and water starting to come in."
