ASHLAND — A hometown hero’s talk Thursday at Ashland High School covered his highlights as a military fighter pilot in Vietnam to what it was like to use the bathroom in space.
Col. Robert Springer’s speech, part of the Ashland County Historical Society’s 2022 Spring Speaker Series, lasted a little over an hour.
As people left the high school’s Little Theater, something unexpected happened. An Ashland man who identified himself as an independent journalist named “Seven” and armed with with a cell phone and a glass jug of clear liquid, approached Springer with some odd questions.
It was a small disturbance that capped an otherwise “excellent evening,” said Tom McNaull, the event’s co-sponsor.
“It was a great night and I’m not going to let that spoil it,” McNaull said.
Springer’s visit back to his hometown — he grew up on Duff Drive — had been in the works for a little over two years, having first hatched the idea with him at the 50th anniversary of the moon landing event in Wapakoneta. The event happened to coincide with the high school’s renovation of its science wing.
“I said ‘It’d be the perfect time if you ever want to come back to Ashland, we can set up to do a dedication of that,’ ” McNaull said.
Springer agreed, but then COVID-19 happened. The plans were put on hold until schedules collided for Springer’s visit, which began Wednesday.
Springer, of Florida, flew in to Ohio this week, arriving in Ashland for a tour of the city led by Mayor Matt Miller. His itinerary then included a visit to the Ashland County Historical Society building on Center Street.
On Thursday, he met with Ashland High School advanced science juniors and seniors and dedicated the new science wing. On Friday, his plans included visiting Ashland University students and giving speeches to middle school students, as well as fourth and fifth graders from Taft Elementary.
“The drive and thrust on this whole thing was about the kids — the exposure to kids. And when he spoke to them, it was all about seizing opportunities. It was a powerful message,” McNaull said.
William Kocher, 5, of Polk came to Thursday’s event at Ashland High School. Kocher, who said he wants to be an astronaut when he’s older, dressed for the occasion. In a full space suit, he approached Springer to shake his hand before his talk began.
Dave Hartsel, 73, of Ashland, also attended the event. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Hartsel has always been fond of astronomy. He said it was fascinating hearing the stories from Springer.
One of those stories involved Springer taking a photo of the sun setting over the earth while his first trip to space in 1989. He said it was his favorite because it shows a blue sheen, punctuated by the bright orange sliver that was the sun.
“That color spectrum in the background? That is the sunlight reflecting off the earth’s atmosphere. It looks like about a foot up there on the screen is actually 400,000 feet of atmosphere,” he said.
“And I’ll tell you what,” he added. “I can’t imagine anybody flying into space and not coming back an environmentalist. You realize that 400,000 feet of atmosphere is what allows us to live on this planet that we call home.”
Nelson Shogren, of Mansfield, drove to the event to listen to Springer because he’s been a “space junkie since Sputnik.”
“I think hearing him talk was as exciting, if not more, as hearing someone talk about climbing Mount Everest,” he said.
As for “Seven,” he had his own thoughts about the space program.
“People making extraordinary claims (about being in space) better bring some extraordinary evidence,” he said, moments after officials from the event notified the police of his unwanted presence.
When asked by a reporter why he attended the event, the man said he wanted to ask Springer some questions about conspiracy theories surrounding the moon landing and the shape of the earth.
Three Ashland police officers eventually arrested the man and escorted him off school grounds. He was later identified as Mark Shire, 52. Lt. Aaron Kline said he charged Shire with disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing and failure to disclose personal information.
