so paul haney was going to be there. paul was on the phone when he started this meeting.he did not get there when they started. when he finally got off the call, this is the story is telling me. he went down there and went in. deke had just finished naming and giving a brief background of the people selected. the head of engineering -- i have your name problem too. i can't remember his name. but he was the guy that designed the spacecraft. best technical guy we had there. as paul walked in, deke says you can't do that. that is 13. >> meaning they chose 13 astronauts. >> i could not believe that the technical guy was superstitious about 13. and deke says, i want this guy. so if i have to take another one. i am the only one to this day that knows he was number 14. >> had that not happened, who knows? >> had that not happened, i would not be here today. >> fate is the hunter. >> yes. good book. let's go back to something serious. apollo 1, the fire. where were you? that is just like the challenger for us. >> challenger is probably much more memorable. challenger and columbia

and a week before that slaton, who was in charge of the astronauts, had arranged a meeting, and paul haney was going to be there. well, paul was on the phone when they started this meeting. so he did not get there when they started it. when he finally got off the call, this is the story he's telling me, he went down and when in and they had just finished giving him a brief background of all the people selected. the head of engineering was the guy who designed the spacecraft. he was the best technical guy they had. and paul raised his hand and said you can't do that. and deeks said why? he said that's 13. >> meaning they chose 13 astronauts. >> i could not believe he was superstitious about 13. and deke says, i want this guy. so if i have to take another one. i am the only one to this day that knows he was number 14. >> had that not happened, who knows? >> had that not happened, i would not be here today. >> fate is the hunter. >> yes. good book. let's go back to something serious. apollo 1, the fire. where were you? that is just like the challenger for us. >> challenger is probably much mo

so paul haney was going to be there. paul was on the phone when he started this meeting.he did not get there when they started. when he finally got off the call , this is the story is telling me. he went down there and went in. deke had just finished naming and giving a brief background of the people selected. the head of engineering -- i have your name problem too. i can't remember his name. but he was the guy that designed the spacecraft. best technical guy we had their. as paul walked in, dkee says you can't do that. that is 13. >> meaning they chose 13 astronauts. >> i could not believe that the technical guy was superstitious about 13. and deke says, i want this guy. so if i have to take another one. i am the only one to this day that knows he was number 14. >> had that not happen, who knows? >> at that not happened, i would not be here today. >> fate is the hunter. let's go back to some serious. apollo 1, the fire. where were you? that is just like the challenger for us. >> challenger is probably much more memorable. challenger and columbia. both terrible disasters.

[laughter] but i met paul haney. he was the only person i knew with nasa. after i left nasa, i wrote a book called the “all-american boys.” a lot of people here have that book. and paul was a friend of mine. i gave paul a copy of that book.