Thank You Neil Armstrong

Yesterday at the age of 82 Neil Armstrong passed away. I remember watching in amazement as the small Apollo 11 spacecraft touch down on the moon. I watched in awe as he stepped foot on the moon and our family black and white TV lit the room that evening. I was at my parent’s home that evening along with family and many friends. The drive over was the quietest I had experienced in years as so many people were in front of their televisions waiting for the pictures to be televised.

It was a surreal moment sitting in our completely blackened living room with family and friends as we watched the historic moment. Walter Cronkite was the commentator and his distinctive voice just added to the incredible event. I remember someone whispered that the spacecraft was built by the cheapest bidder and some family members worried.

It has been a long time since 1969 but I cannot forget that amazing moment in history, my life and those of my family and friends. Many of my friends are gone, my parents and two brothers are also gone, but every once in a while when we had got together we remembered how you could have heard a pin drop in the room where more than 20 people sat glued to a small black and white screen that flickered in the dark.

When Neil stepped on the moon and said those historic words “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, suddenly everyone broke into applause and there was laughing and tears. It was indeed an amazing, unforgettable moment in the history of humanity.

Thank you Neil Armstrong. Thank you Buzz Aldrin and thank you Walter Cronkite.

God Speed Neil.

I appreciate any comments commemorating this remarkable event in human history.