Wally, Walt, and Whatshisname

In other news, Apollo 7 launched on this date in '68.  To mark the event, here's some color commentary from Schirra's book:

I was not pleased with pad discipline, and I suggested to Buzz Hello that North American hire Guenter Wendt from McDonnell, who had been a superb pad leader. We badly needed him. Hello was a competent manager, but he lacked Healey's ability to judge people, and on that occasion he misread me completely. 

"Sure, Wally," he said. "I'll get you a rubber piggy doll if you want." 

"Wrong, Buzz," I answered, and if there was a steel edge to my tone, it was intended. "We made some big waves out in California, and you'd better believe we'll make them here too. We want the best people available, and we won't hesitate to name them. Wendt is the best. He did all of the Mercury and Gemini launches. He will not take any nonsense from your employees on the pad. If there is any trouble out there, he can he trusted to let us know." Guenter Wendt returned as pad leader. We then began an exhaustive series of tests on the pad.
...

It was a telling moment on each of my flights when the gantry was pulled away, and the crew was left alone in its spacecraft atop the booster. This is the moment when we lost real touch with earthlings, who became voices by radio only. It's as of this moment that the white room, in which Guenter Wendt and his crew had labored diligently, just disappeared. It was then on the morning of October 11, 1968, that Donn Eisele¹ made a remark I'll never forget: "I wonder where Guenter went."

Speaking of Guenter, here's der Fuhrer of der Launch Pad in his own words.  Anyway, keep those cards and letters coming, folks...

1 - Good ole Whatshisname.