I was in college at University of Florida when the first Space Shuttle launch happened. The first attempt was on a week end and I drove down from Gainesville to watch, but the launch was scrubbed. I skipped school and watched the successful launch from the side of US 1 near Titusville, FL.
In my work in the aerospace industry I got to know people that worked on the Space Shuttle program and got to see two night launches from the VIP area.
36 yrs on shuttle. 12 in NewOrleans and 24 at KSC. 1975-2011