[Semper Vigilantis]

Truly amazing. I don’t remember the Mercury missions, but do remember Gemini and Apollo. We were stationed in Italy when Neil and Buzz walked on the moon. We watched it on Italian TV surrounded by Italians and other USAF families. I was so proud. The memory still makes my heart swell.

I am currently reading ‘Rocket Men’, a book about the Apollo 8 mission. The first time men went to, and orbited, the moon. They describe planning the mission - go to the moon, orbit 10 times at 69 miles altitude, then return to Earth - as throwing a dart at a peach from 28 feet away and grazing the fuzz but not touching the skin. To complicate things the moon is moving at 2300 MPH, so throw the peach up in the air - THEN throw the dart. Truly amazing.

I look around now and wonder WHY anyone would want to destroy that. The pride I felt in ‘69 has turned to a deep sadness.

[GOPJ]

They describe planning the mission - go to the moon, orbit 10 times at 69 miles altitude, then return to Earth - as throwing a dart at a peach from 28 feet away and grazing the fuzz but not touching the skin. To complicate things the moon is moving at 2300 MPH, so throw the peach up in the air - THEN throw the dart. Truly amazing.

The event has a myth quality to it. I remember it too - was living in Florida at the time. We were all blown away.