Salute to Neil Armstrong

[Art]

A true American hero, inspiration, and role model for generations to come. All of us that were old enough to live through those remarkable days of early space exploration remember where we were when Eagle landed on the moon. Thanks to Neil, and all NASA workers that contributed to our magnificent space program.

[Summer Fun II]

R.I.P Neil.

[Ka1oxd]

RIP Neil! The worse part the new generation of those graduating from high school only know about him through history lessons. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

[saopm]

Salute

[rusty higgins]

I have to post on this one simply because it was not only a man’s passing but instead it was yet another example of how being humble may not make you rich but will leave a reminder to us all that true greatness comes from integrity and not wealth.

I grew up in the same town I am around now and that being Cocoa Beach Florida. A lot of you know this name from watching I dream of Jennie back when we were kids but of course that show like many others was actually filmed in Hollywood CA. We Beach people grew up watching that show but more importantly we also watched with our very own eyes the launching of the American Space Program. I still remember my Mom and the other Mom’s walking us kids to the beach ( A hundred yards or so) to witness the lift-offs of men like Alan Shepard, John Glenn and the other original seven astronauts (yes, I can still name them all without hesitation.) In those days the astronauts were very visible people and could be seen around town before they launched. It was the Mom’s that took us outside to see the missiles because all of our Dad’s were at the Center working on those days (first,Cape Canaveral, then Cape Kennedy and now known as Kennedy Space Center.) My Dad was a Marine in the South Pacific during the war and returned to get his Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering and then found himself in Florida in the late 50’s working for this new industry called the space program. I recall watching Alan Shepard going up on a Redstone rocket (A fricking ballistic missile) and then John Glenn through Gordo Cooper on Atlas rockets…these men knew the damn things could blow up but said “light this candle” and took a ride on nothing more than a controlled explosion. Neil Armstrong became an astronaut following his military career as a fighter pilot and test pilot and joined in the Gemini program which was a two man capsule. Neil’s Gemini flight was one of practicing docking maneuvers, all part of the design to get to the moon as President Kennedy said we would before the end of the decade. Neil retired from the military but remained an astronaut in the program……

Now we come to July of 1969 and America is experiencing growing pains and dissent like never before. We just had the Nixon election and were in the middle of the Tet offensive in Vietnam and Woodstock on Yasser’s farm but here were men like Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins on their way to the moon sitting side by side so close that they were literally shoulder to shoulder for days on end. My Dad told stories of how Neil delayed the landing on Tranquility Base for a period of time as he searched for a safe place to touch down (the original planned site was too rocky.) Houston advised the Eagle they had less than thirty seconds of fuel remaining and that would translate into a crash and certainly failure of the mission and death to Aldrin and Armstrong….. A few seconds later, the words were heard in the control room that “The Eagle has landed”….You have never been in a pressure situation that equals this.

Unofficially do you know why and how Neil Armstrong was selected to be the first. It turns out that when launch crews were assigned they really did not know which Apollo mission would be the one to make the lunar landing and once it was Apollo 11, the choice was Aldrin or Armstrong…. Remember Neil Armstrong was a civilian by this time and it was important on many levels for the world to see our success as not being a military mission as much as it was humanitarian accomplishment for the world. For anyone reading this that is too young to remember the actual events or even the success of the America Space Program in its entirety, I recall my Dad’s words in his later years when the Space Shuttle program was launching on a regular basis….he would say those young rocket guys have it made with all the computers they can use for data determination, we only had slide rulers…..can you even imagine picking up a slide ruler today and try and calculate the numbers and data to make a human land on the moon and come home safely. I saw many Redstone Rockets (first Mercury missiles) Atlas 1 & 11 (later Merc’s and Gemini missiles) and the big powerful Saturn V (Apollo missile) fly into space from either the beach or my backyard from being a small tike through high school and then the Shuttle program to follow. And each time that huge ball of fire erupted, one could only imagine what the guys inside were feeling.

Neil Armstrong returned from the moon a National Hero but quickly returned to the humble of the man and used his knowledge and experience for educational value to others. He seemed recluse but in fact just did not want this name to be used for monetary gains. Neil Armstrong has always reminded me of a couple other heroes’ that I have the highest regard for. One being Gen. Robert E. Lee, a man who refused to allowed his name to be use for fame or gain as he considered war a tragic occurrence. The other one that made a huge impact for all of us was Dr. George Washington Carver and no one can say that his contributions were not world wide humanitarian gifts. His grave marker says, he could have gained fame and fortune both chose neither for the sake of all mankind. Dr. Carver did not patent even one of his over 2000 inventions or discoveries…….Mr. Neil Armstrong now resides in a class not all by himself but it sure doesn’t take long to call the roll.

How many people have you known of that have refused notoriety and dollars just so others think of them as one of us, and nothing more.

Thanks for the memories and thanks for being an America, Commander, no man has gone further to the heavens than you sir! You were so much more!!


Life long resident and proud supporter of the US Space Program,

Rusty




Here is a little local space insight trivia that our Dad’s talked about more than once.


ON JULY 20, 1969, AS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE,
NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON.

HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE MOON:

"THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND,"
WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS.

BUT JUST BEFORE HE RE-ENTERED THE LANDER, HE MADE THE ENIGMATIC REMARK

"GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY".

MANY PEOPLE AT NASA THOUGH IT WAS A CASUAL REMARK CONCERNING SOME RIVAL SOVIET COSMONAUT.

HOWEVER, UPON CHECKING, THERE WAS NO GORSKY IN EITHER THE RUSSIAN OR AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAMS.

OVER THE YEARS MANY PEOPLE QUESTIONED ARMSTRONG AS TO WHAT THE 'GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY' STATEMENT MEANT, BUT

ARMSTRONG ALWAYS JUST SMILED.

ON JULY 5, 1995, IN TAMPA BAY , FLORIDA , WHILE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOLLOWING A SPEECH,
A REPORTER BROUGHT UP THE 26- YEAR-OLD QUESTION TO ARMSTRONG. THIS TIME HE FINALLY RESPONDED.

MR. GORSKY HAD DIED, SO NEIL ARMSTRONG FELT HE COULD NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION.

IN 1938, WHEN HE WAS A KID IN A SMALL OHIO MID-WESTERN TOWN , HE WAS PLAYING BASEBALL WITH A FRIEND IN THE BACKYARD.
HIS FRIEND HIT THE BALL, WHICH LANDED IN HIS NEIGHBOUR'S YARD BY THEIR BEDROOM WINDOW. HIS NEIGHBOURS WERE MR. AND MRS GORSKY. AS HE LEANED DOWN TO PICK UP THE BALL, YOUNG ARMSTRONG HEARD MRS GORSKY SHOUTING AT MR. GORSKY.


"SEX! YOU WANT SEX? YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON!"



TRUE STORY.

[wish2fish]

Watched this today. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[bmac]

I turned 9 a few days before the first lunar landing. Much like Rusty I grew up with the space program in my backyard, being just a few miles from the Grumman facility in Bethpage where the lunar module was designed, built and tested. I still have a Polaroid picture my father took of our 25" color TV as Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface of the moon. It's not a very good picture as the flash bounced off the screen but every time I look at it I can see in my minds eye and hear in my minds ear the events of that night. It was a great night to be an American.....

[mwph]

Great post Rusty. Thanks a ton!

I am barely old enough but I remember vividly my parents "making me" stay awake to see it. I have twice visited The Space & Rocket Center here in Alabama. Facinating stuff.

[Larry]

Great story Rusty!

[OldSkool]

We boomers have lived through the development and grows of so many industries and history changing events. Our kids will ride that wave but we threw the stone that started the ripple then momentum took over and here we are today. Will they rewrite our history? Maybe. Will they pass or fail on life issues? No one can tell. One thing is for sure and that is they will make their way however they need to.

I can't help to think though that one day someone will stumble upon the great accomplishment of men like Neil and history will come alive again. Truth and goodness always has a way of rising back to the top.