This is an interview with former NASA flight director, flight controller and director of the Johnson Space Center, Gerald Griffin. After joining NASA in 1964, Griffin worked on moon missions, including Apollo 11, 12, 13, and 17. In the first half of this two-part interview, Griffin discusses his role in the Gemini program and his work at Mission Control. He also recalls when lightning struck Apollo 12, Apollo 8's groundbreaking mission, and how the almost disastrous Apollo 13 mission proved to be a NASA victory. This interview was part of the Johnson Space Center’s Oral History Project.