Colonel James Irwin: Creationist Astronaut (article)

James Benson Irwin (March 17, 1930–August 8, 1991), an American astronaut and scientist, was lunar module pilot for Apollo 15 on the fourth human lunar landing and was the eighth person to walk on the moon.1

From childhood, Irwin dreamed of going to the moon.2 After receiving a B.S. in naval science from the United States Naval Academy and a M.S. in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan, Irwin graduated from the Air Force Experimental Test Pilot School and the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School. In preparation for becoming an astronaut, he studied geology, astronomy, and spacecraft design, as well as lunar geology. Though a skeptic during his educational years, after extensive research, Irwin became convinced creation was true and Darwinism false.

I was fortunate to be able to see ONE Apollo launch when I was a kid...This one was the one I went to go see...

It was a great road trip I took with my Dad and Mom to Florida, from Houston a few days before launch...

I remember us being able to drive to a special viewing area, fairly close to the pad for that event, and it left an indelible mark on my memory...

One was my Mom trying to hold onto me as I was sitting on top of the roof of my Dad’s old Chevelle, in which the launch vibrations almost pushed me off that roof...hehe

As a kid you just don’t worry about stuff like that...

It was a great show...

Years later, when I’d get a chance to come home on leave, I would go to my Dad’s office at Ellington and meet some of these guys that actually walked on the moon at one time, back in the day...They all seemed to be held in high regard by the new crop of ASCAN’s (Astronaut Candidates) over the days activities on the Vomit Comet, and at lunch over at Pe-Te’s across the street...

Looking back on those days, I really think we did it right, these guys led the way, and the new folks really climbed aboard, and cought the mindset of being the really visible part of the United States Manned Spaceflight Program...

Through thick and thin, triumph and tragedy, we all held it together with a sense of purpose...

Today, it is but a distant memory now, our presense in spaceflight is at the generocity (and 20-30 million per body) of a foriegn government to get us up to what we essentially put together up there...

And you hardly hear about anything going on up there these days...

All it took was a redirection of a person who was elected to destroy the future of a program with such good intentions and national pride, that no longer seems to be prevalent in todays society...

If I recall correctly, I believe Al Bean said it best, “Is this all there is?” as he was standing outside the LEM waiting to crawl back in for the last time, before heading back to earth...

I wish we could re-kindle the spirit of exploration in future generations, but I feel it is not possible in todays political and socially closed-minded populace...

How unfortunate...

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