![]() I say thank you to all Americans who believed in this goal and to those who preserve its memory and legacy. Quite simply it was a turning point for humans and I am proud and humbled to have witnessed it and to be associated with our American friends who thought it important enough to prioritize and pursue. It helped us glimpse how tiny we are in the realm of the cosmos but gave us the opportunity to recognize our small part in it after its creation. It profoundly affected technology and how we view ourselves and our planet. It solidified my lifelong passion for all things air and space it motivated my travel to witness both Apollo 16 and 17 be launched it sparked interest in other Canadians who eventually flew into space alongside our American neighbors it clearly showed space exploration is international in scope and but for the dedication of our American friends it could well have been otherwise it inspired awe in all who witnessed it and it still creates chills as I view my library of space and Apollo materials, videos and memorabilia it was simply one of the most memorable events of my life. It helped me to learn to strive and indirectly motivated me into another profession. My parents encouraged my fascination and study of space exploration - even as a Canadian. I vividly recall it as I was in my early teens in Alberta Canada. This was a fabulous event for the entire world. My grandpa said "It'll never happen." My dad said "Oh yes it will!" In May of '61, my dad - a freshly minted fighter pilot, was home on leave to the small town in Nebraska where he grew up and he was sitting with my grandfather talking about Kennedy's speech from earlier in the day wherein the president had challenged America to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. My grandfather was born July 20th, 1903, six months before the Wright Brothers' first flight. Several people shared memories of gathering with family and friends in front of small screens to watch the event. An estimated 650 million viewers were watching. ![]() On July 20th, across the world, people gathered in front of televisions to watch the moon landing. I will always treasure that little bit of tape long after Neil, Buzz, and Mike returned to Earth, and my mom departed this Earth. Of course, every time I listened to it I had to smile at my mom’s sense of both humor and timing. I was mortified and mad that she had ruined my historic tape. just at ignition, my mother walked by and passed gas. I used to record CBS space coverage on a little reel to reel tape player since the days of Gemini, and had a tremendous supply of tapes to use for "The Epic Voyage of Apollo 11." The morning of July 16 I had the tape recorder going as the count reached its final seconds. My father had passed away in 1967 and I spent a lot of time in my room reading and building plastic models of all the spacecraft of the time. I was 16 years old when Apollo 11 happened. Now, the Moon Dollar is one of my treasured possessions, a fond reminder of a friendly bet placed nearly 60 years ago between an old Nebraska farmer and his fighter pilot son.īefore the moon landing, many were watching the launch of the Apollo 11 astronauts, whether in person or at home. It wasn't a birthday greeting he received, but rather, a call from my dad who gleefully exclaimed "Send it out!"Ī few days later, the "Moon Dollar" arrived in the mail and my dad placed it with his other important documents where it safely remained until his passing two years ago this July. They placed the bill on a shelf in the kitchen and there it remained until Jwhen my grandpa answered a long distance phone call from California. They decided to bet a dollar and my grandpa used a carpenter's marking crayon to write "Man On Moon By 01-01-70" across the face of the bill. ![]() ![]() In May of 1961, my dad - a freshly minted fighter pilot, was home on leave to the small town in Nebraska where he grew up and he was sitting with my grandfather talking about Kennedy's speech from earlier in the day wherein the president had challenged America to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
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