. >>> it is february 25, 1999 and we are in titusville, florida with guenter wendt. we're going to ask him some questions about his career with the space program. let's start with something real basic and really a long time ago. i'm curious when you were growing up in germany as a kid, did you ever imagine what was ahead for you? >> no, not that line. but ever since i was in grade school i started with building model airplanes. then after that i graduated to flying sail planes. and i always was interested in flying machines, so to speak. so i actually signed up to learn to manufacture aircraft and at the same time i went to evening classes to make a degree in mechanical engineering. though didn't have much of a fun youth, but nevertheless then after all of that was pretty much done, we had something that they called world war ii. and with my background i had an offer from the air course to go into as a second lieutenant if i would sign up for 12 years which was detrimental to my outlook on life because i didn't want to sign up for the military for 12 years. so i said