Neil Armstrong

[John Pruden]

the first man to step foot on the moon sadly passed away noon today.jp

[Keith at Tregenna]

Thanks John for bringing this to our attention:

Neil Armstrong, The 1st Man On The Moon

The modest man who had people on Earth entranced and awed from almost a quarter million miles away, "one giant leap for mankind" with a small step on to the moon. has died. He was 82.

The crew’s trip to the moon — particularly the hair-raising final descent from lunar orbit to the treacherous surface — was history’s boldest feat of aviation.

"Walking On The Moon"

Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon

Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Feet they hardly touch the ground
Walking on the moon
My feet don't hardly make no sound
Walking on, walking on the moon

Some may say
I'm wishing my days away
No way
And if it's the price I pay
Some say
Tomorrow's another day
You stay
I may as well play

Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could be together
Walking on, walking on the moon

Some may say
I'm wishing my days away
No way
And if it's the price I pay
Some say
Tomorrow's another day
You stay
I may as well play

Keep it up, keep it up

Sting.

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhaZ3cRCKgk

K.

[John Pruden]

he is said to have had been ice cold when it came to nerves an amazing man and a sad loss to a history maker.JP{ sorry for the spelling Neil}

[Keith at Tregenna]

Almighty ruler of the all
Whose power extends to great and small,
Who guides the stars with steadfast law,
Whose least creation fills with awe—
Oh grant Thy mercy and Thy grace
To those who venture into space.

The Prayer For Protection:

The Light of God surrounds me.
The Love of God enfolds me.
The Power of God protects me.
The Presence of God watches over me.
The Mind of God guides me.
The Life of God flows through me.
The Laws of God direct me.
The Power of God abides within me.
The Joy of God uplifts me.
The Strength of God renews me.
The Beauty of God inspires me.
Wherever I am, God is!

This prayer was written by James Dillet Freeman for all soldiers during World War II. It is as powerful today as it was then.

"On the very first flight to the moon, on Apollo 11, astronaut Col. James Aldrin carried Unity's 'Prayer for Protection' with him.

“Prayer for Protection” is one of two Freeman compositions carried to the moon by Apollo astronauts. In 1969, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin took the “Prayer for Protection” along on the first manned moon landing. A microfilm copy of Freeman's poem “I Am There” was left on the moon in 1971 by Apollo XV astronaut James B. Irwin.

It seems a suitable tribute to / for Neil Armstrong, The 1st Man On The Moon.

K.

[Tony Morcom]

A name very well known to every member of our generation and whose unique achievement of being the first to walk on the moon will never be equalled. Neil Armstrong's long and significant career also included 3 years with the United States Navy. The following extract is courtesy of Wikipedia:

Armstrong's call-up from the Navy arrived on January 26, 1949, requiring him to report to Naval Air Station Pensacola for flight training. This lasted almost 18 months, during which he qualified for carrier landing aboard the USS Cabot and USS Wright. On August 16, 1950, two weeks after his 20th birthday, Armstrong was informed by letter he was a fully qualified Naval Aviator.^[14]
His first assignment was to Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron 7 at NAS San Diego (now known as NAS North Island). Two months later he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 51 (VF-51), an all-jet squadron, and made his first flight in a jet, an F9F-2B Panther, on January 5, 1951. In June, he made his first jet carrier landing on the USS Essex and was promoted the same week from Midshipman to Ensign. By the end of the month, the Essex had set sail with VF-51 aboard, bound for Korea, where they would act as ground-attack aircraft.^[15]
Armstrong first saw action in the Korean War on August 29, 1951, as an escort for a photo reconnaissance plane over Songjin.^[16] On September 3, 1951, Armstrong flew armed reconnaissance over the primary transportation and storage facilities south of the village of Majon-ni, west of Wonsan; while he was making a low bombing run at about 350 mph (560 km/h), Armstrong's F9F Panther was hit by anti-aircraft fire. While trying to regain control, Armstrong collided with a pole at a height of about 20 feet (6.1 m), which sliced off an estimated three feet of the Panther's right wing.^[17] Armstrong was able to fly the plane back to friendly territory, but due to the loss of the aileron, ejection was his only safe option. He planned to eject over water and await rescue by Navy helicopters, and therefore flew to an airfield near Pohang, but his ejection seat was blown back over land.^[18] A jeep driven by a room-mate from flight school picked Armstrong up; it is unknown what happened to the wreckage of No. 125122 F9F-2.^[19]
Armstrong flew 78 missions over Korea for a total of 121 hours in the air, most of which were in January 1952. He received the Air Medal for 20 combat missions, a Gold Star for the next 20, and the Korean Service Medal and Engagement Star.^[20] Armstrong left the Navy at the age of 22 on August 23, 1952, and became a Lieutenant, Junior Grade in the United States Naval Reserve. He resigned his commission in the Naval Reserve on October 21, 1960.

[John Pruden]

like the kennedy killing can you remember what you were doing at the landing?jp

[j.sabourn]

Sitting in a bar in Honolulu watching the landing on the moon. Cheers John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

Interesting interview on radio here this morning. One of the Nasa men of the day and he had some interesting commenst to make. Apparently Aldrin was supposed to have been the firts on the moon. How ever he was still a serving army man at the time and it was considered thta may have a bad effect on the public who may have seen the believed that what he did would greatly benifit mankind. When you consider some of the things to come out of space travel and exploration it makes you wonder how our world would be now if man had never ventured to the moon.

[John Arton]

I was actually at home for the lunar landings and was glued to the T.V. watching it. A few years later we were going down the Florida Straits and the skipper ignored the instructions to avoid the area of Cape Kennedy so we were able to get a fantastic view of one of the Apollo manned missions taking off. Mind you the skipper did'nt half get a rollicking off the US Navy for transgressing their prohibited area.
The same guy refused to avaoid an area off the US west coast where naval manouvers were being carried out, that is until two american destroyers positioned themselves port and stbd off our bow and only metres off and then started approaching even closer so we had to alter course to avoid collision, once they got us turned through 90 deg they told us to keep heading in that direction and they sped off to rejoin the manouvers
rgds
JA

[Tony Frost]

one set foot on the Moon (Neil) the other one was over the Moon(Laurence)