On April 10, following a 10-day lunar orbit and re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere, U.S. Navy and NASA personnel safely extracted the crew and Artemis II Orion spacecraft from the Pacific Ocean. The event, plus a copy of a matted and framed newspaper article and photos hung in Vicki Barrett’s home, reminded her of an article she read about the Apollo 11 moon mission and recovery efforts that occurred 56-years ago involving U.S. Navy Lt. Richard J. Barrett.

In 2003, Vicki married Richard Barrett. She said he was quiet about his time in the Navy, but the article documented his leadership and efforts.

John Phaup, staff writer for The Citizen-Times newspaper in Asheville, North Carolina, wrote an article about Apollo 11, Lt. Barrett and his role. Many of those details are included in this story along with excerpts from NASA records. Lt. Barrett was part of the Apollo 11 recovery operation when the astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 11:49 a.m. (CDT) on July 24, 1969.

On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 Spacecraft flawlessly launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida, while more than a million spectators watched. Among those watching were President Lyndon Johnson and Vice President Spiro Agnew, according to NASA. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins journeyed to the moon and on July 20 the spacecraft touched down on the surface of the moon.

Navy Lt. Barrett, formerly of Swannanoa, North Carolina, was one of the men in the spotlight when the Apollo 11 astronauts reentered the earth’s atmosphere days after leaving the moon. He was in charge of training and flight proficiency of all pilots and air crewmen for recovery of Apollo 11.

When the astronauts splashed down in the water — about 1,000 miles southwest of Hawaii, Barrett and his squadron were on the scene. In a 1969 statement released to the Citizen-Times newspaper Barrett said, “My job will be to drop the swimmers after the module lands.” The frogmen were tasked with fastening a sea anchor and flotation gear to the module.

Barrett’s duties were a vital link in the safe recovery of the first men on the moon. He flew in Helicopter Number 64 on the recovery day, a unit of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Four, aboard the U.S.S. Hornet.

“We’re very thrilled that he’s part of this historic occasion,” Barrett’s mother said to the newspaper reporter at that time. “We just pray that everything goes all right with those astronauts,” she said in 1969.

Prior to that event, the 27-year-old pilot and his squadron were on location when needed on previous missions. On Dec. 27, 1968, Barrett participated in the recovery of Apollo 8 spacemen after they orbited the moon. His squadron repeated that safe recovery five months later when Apollo 10 astronauts returned to earth from within 10 miles of the lunar surface, the newspaper article stated.

The Hornet embarked for the recovery zone on June 27, 1969, with 20 pilots, 160 enlisted men and eight of the unit’s 17 helicopters. By the time the astronauts landed shortly after noon that day, the helicopters had practiced the entire procedure at least 25 times.

Watching that recovery on television in 1969 was Barrett’s first wife, Patricia Griffin Barrett, according to the article. The couple moved to Fayetteville in 1976. “He was president and owner of Network Industries,” said Vicki. Richard passed away on Nov. 19, 2021. His legacy has been told to others by his family. “Our grandkids have used the write-up for reports at school,” said Vicki.