Eternal rest to ye Neil Armstrong, American hero, cultural icon, innovative scientist, fighter pilot. Neil Armstrong pushed the boundaries of scientific exploration and served his nation proudly and with a modesty rarely exhibited by one so accomplished.
I recall being at Boy Scout camp in July of 1969 and we all gathered in the mess hall to watch Neil Armstrong’s historic moon walk on a small black and white television. Needless to say, there were many Scouts that were awed by his “giant leap for mankind”.
Yep, we don’t make 'em like we used to. I don’t generally buy into the whole hero thing, but the Apollo guys came close. They really did have the right stuff.
I was playing a jazz concert in a park on 1969-07-20. When the moment came we stopped the show, piped news audio to the PA for the audience, and ran backstage to watch on a tiny B&W TV. Unforgettable.
I recently read a lengthy history of the Apollo program. It’s impossible to wrap one’s head around what an achievement it was, particularly given the technology of the time. Armstrong was, of course, a true hero, but he was right to persistently insist that the achievement was equally that a very large number of people who worked on that program. I think his reticence for his entire life after Apollo 11 is just more evidence of his heroism. Go back some time and read an account of the last minute or two before the Eagle landed. He was the ultimate Nerd Hero.
It must’ve been the ultimate rush to set foot on the Moon. I remember watching it live on TV. Those men will live on in my mind. True heroes, Neil Armstrong and all the rest of them shot into space.
This is definetly end on an era stuff, don’t you feel it all gone into a standstill now with space really. i mean they don’t even have a shuttle anymore!
