Thank You, Neil Armstrong

 From the AP:

"I am, and ever will be, a white socks, pocket protector, nerdy engineer," he said in February 2000 in one of his rare public appearances. "And I take a substantial amount of pride in the accomplishments of my profession."
Like taking the biggest step in the history of the world? 


Those of us that saw this event on TV will never forget it.  I went out and looked into that dark Arizona sky (we didn't have a lot of light so our skies were dark and starry) and wondered if I would go to the moon if I could.
Thank you, Neil Armstrong, for your inspiration and courage.

Comments

Juana said…
Thank you for the chance to reflect on a wonderful, humble and quiet individual to emulate. I am again an eleven-year old watching him step on the moon. Here's a wink to the moon for you, Cmdr. Armstrong.
8/25/12, 6:26 PM
Anonymous said…
My family had just moved all the way across the country from Washington, D.C. to Toppenish, WA, and I was headed into my senior year in high school a million miles away from what was familiar. We were living temporarily in a motel in Yakima when Neil Armstrong took his giant leap. That great moment helped me make that huge transition. I will always be grateful to him.

Concerned Teacher Educator
8/25/12, 9:01 PM
Anonymous said…
Nothing against Armstrong, but the space program was a jingoistic, military project dressed up as research. Cold war extravagance which distracted from real issues of poverty and class that we struggle with today. Don't forget, these space missions started using the same ICBMs that still hold our planet in a headlock of threatened annihilation.
Realist
8/26/12, 7:32 AM
Patrick said…
Thank you, Mr. Armstrong, for being a symbol of what was right on the space program, our country, humankind.

Realist, the ICBMs were already there, isn't it a good thing that some of them were used for peaceful purposes? Voyages of exploration of the past have all had elements of national interest too -- Magellan was in search of a route to the Indies not controlled by Portugal, etc. That doesn't change their accomplishment.
8/26/12, 5:59 PM
Anonymous said…
And without the space program we'd never had Tang! But seriously, so much of our modern world is based on the technology developed as part of this program. I applaud Mr. Armstrong and all the men who had the courage to "go where no man has gone before."

Solvay Girl
8/27/12, 12:03 PM
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