June 5, 1962 - Lieut. Comdr. M. Scott Carpenter flew into and out of New York today through overcast weather that would have canceled the orbital flight that brought him glory. But New Yorkers tried to make up for the dreariness of the day by the joy of their welcome. They were joined by former Presidents Herbert Hoover and Harry S. Truman who, at a luncheon in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, praised the second American to orbit the earth. Earlier in the day, President Kennedy had congratulated the astronaut during a 20-minute meeting at the White House. Mr. Truman told an enthusiastic audience of 1,500 in the Waldorf ballroom that the 37-year-old Navy officer had “done something I wouldn’t do if he promised me the moon, could get it, and give it back to me.” In a brief tribute, Mr. Hoover said of Commander Carpenter: “He has given us a lift, and he has given us prestige all over the world.”
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