Apollo 13 Flight Controller from Oklahoma Recalls Mission

By Colleen Chen, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- This week marks 40 years since the drama of Apollo 13 played out, and one Oklahoman was in the Mission Control room that historic day.

Tom Weichel was just 27-years-old, and he said he never thought he would be a part of history.

Weichel grew up in Colony, Oklahoma and had a passion for math and physics. He said he wasn't sure where it would lead him, but it's what he chose to study at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

After college, he landed a job at NASA where he served as a flight controller for a number of missions, but none of them would compare to his last: Apollo 13.

"I can't believe it's been 40 years already. I can remember certain things like it was yesterday," Weichel said.

He said he'll never forget when he heard the now infamous words, "Houston. We have a problem."

Weichel said everyone went into work mode, and it wasn't until after it was over that they realized the magnitude of their work.

He described the moment the astronauts made it back to earth safely as unforgettable and said it created an unbreakable bond between those who went through it.

"Everyone broke out the cigars. It was like winning a world championship," he said.

Weichel and his wife moved to Oklahoma after the Apollo 13 mission.

"I'm a country boy. I'm a rancher's son. I came back to Oklahoma to raise my family. It's peaceful. I don't regret a thing," Weichel said.