July 20, 1969

42 years ago today, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the moon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

How may of you remember that day?

I was visiting my uncle over the summer on his farm and remember staying up late to watch all of it.

And, an urban legend concerning that event that sounds so cool, it should be true:

When Apollo Mission Astronaut Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon, he not only gave his famous "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" statement but followed it by several remarks, usual com traffic between him, the other astronauts and Mission Control.
Just before he re-entered the lander, however, he made the enigmatic remark "Good luck Mr. Gorsky."
Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs. Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good luck Mr Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.
Just a few years ago, (on July 5, 1995 in Tampa Bay FL) while answering questions following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26-year old question to Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had finally died and so Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.
When he was a kid, he was playing baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit a fly ball, which landed in the front of his neighbor's bedroom windows. His neighbors were Mr. & Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Oral sex! You want oral sex?! You'll get oral sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"

I remember. It was a historic day for the U.S. Then too, I remember when John Glenn orbited earth in Friendship 7 in 1962.

Now we hitch-hike for rides from the Russians....Odumbo doesn't believe in American Exceptionalism.......

I am well old enough to remember everything, President Kennedy challenging the Country to anti up and put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, the shock when Yuri Gagarin made his multi orbit flight, The elation when Alan Shepard finally went up, tempered by the fact that it was sub orbitol. Gus Grissom's flight, and finally John Glenn.

I had been out of the Army not quite a year when Armstrong set foot on the Moon. It tempered much of the ill feelings that I had for my Country because of the utter waste of Vietnam. It made me proud to be an American again.

Now, I look at the current situation that we find ourselves in, where President Kennedy's great words are replaced by the panderings of polititians on both sides of the isle who will promise anything, to anybody, at any time, for nothing more than the hope of garnishing more votes.