OT: July 20, 1969

[praetor1944]

It seems an appropriate day to ask how many forum members can remember a former naval aviator's most important landing. I was 10 years old and can remember the landing and the moonwalk like it was yesterday. I was allowed to stay up and watch it all.

[witpqs]

I remember. [:)]

RIP, Neil Armstrong. [&o]

[Shellshock]

To quote Fark.com: One last step for a man, one giant loss for mankind. Truly a hero for the ages that he now belongs to. [:(]

And how long before we hear from the loser "conspiracy theorists" that NASA killed him because he was going to spill the beans. [8|]

[dr.hal]

I saw it live in black and white. A fantastic day. I only wish we had really followed through.... To think, Neil never saw us return to the moon or beyond. Sad.

[Mac Linehan]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

I saw it live in black and white. A fantastic day. I only wish we had really followed through.... To think, Neil never saw us return to the moon or beyond. Sad.

dr.hal -

I also recall watching the event on our family's (new) color television.

My sincere respect to Neil Armstrong, and the team he lead.

Mac

[rjopel]

I was two and remember my parents getting me up to watch it.

A statement from Neil Armstrong's family:

“For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.”

[KMCCARTHY]

I was on a beach in Maine and 8 years old. It didn't register till later.

I work for NASA now, and it hit me hard. My wife and I had the oportunity to hear him speak a couple of years ago. He was great.

BZ Neil! Carry on.[&o]

[Empire101]

I was 8 years old queueing with my father outside a fish & chip shop in the evening.
My father saw it happening on the screen of a TV in a TV Shop, and I watched it happening with my nose pressed against the glass. A memorable moment, although we lost our place in the queue.

I salute Neil Armstrong and all the other brave men who were involved in that momentous achievement.

[dr.hal]

ORIGINAL: Mac Linehan

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

I saw it live in black and white. A fantastic day. I only wish we had really followed through.... To think, Neil never saw us return to the moon or beyond. Sad.

dr.hal -

I also recall watching the event on our family's (new) color television.

My sincere respect to Neil Armstrong, and the team he lead.

Mac

I saw an interesting movie that is germane to this thread, "Dish". About an Australian tracking station that captured the TV signal about Apollo 11. I saw it on DVD just last week. Neil was the tip of the spear, but like most spears, there was a lot going on behind the scenes that made it possible.

[RHoenig]

I saw his "one step" as a 6 year old in TV (b/w) with the family in the middle of the night (everyone was allowed to stay up).

It started my interest in everything space and SF.

[nashvillen]

I have a vauge memory of my family's small black and white TV and the whole coverage of the Apollo program. I can't place a specific memory of the landing event itself though.

Now, I do work for Amarillo Design Beurau (Game Publisher of all kinds of Star Fleet Universe games) and I get to fly a B10... [;)]

[joey]

I was at my grandparent's house watching the event on a black and white TV. The event was awe inspiring! I will never forget it. john

[oldman45]

I was 10 and my dad got everybody up to watch it. One of those things you never forget.

[CaptDave]

I know I watched the landing, but don't remember it (except for the countless times I've seen films since then). Certainly was old enough to remember; I remember watching (on TV) a launch about 5 years earlier.

My father, my brother, and I were at a drive-in movie ("The Incredible Mister Limpet") a day or two before the landing and conditions were perfect to catch a glint of sun reflecting off the command module (it was where no star could be, so we assumed that's what it was). Just a pinpoint of light, but exciting to an 8-year-old!

I had the honor of hearing Neil Armstrong speak once. When I was in the Explorers (upper level of Scouts), I attended the National Explorer Presidents Congress and he was addressing the group of Aviation Explorers. Can't claim to have met him, but did hear him speak. At this point I have no memory of what he said, but I do remember his demeanor, and it's just as every article has described -- quiet, not at all full of himself, there to encourage us.

Trivia time: while he was arguably the most famous graduate of Purdue University, he most certainly was the most famous person ever to play in the Purdue University All American Marching Band. He played clarinet in the band (at a school with no music department). The newest engineering building on campus is named after him.

(Possible correction: it was the band director who mentioned, about 5 or 6 years ago, that Armstrong played clarinet. The obituary on the university web site says he played baritone. Minor detail, but anyone playing this game knows how important details are!)

[rockmedic109]

I was two days shy of 6. We got back from Church just in time to watch the landing. I waited for "the step" but got bored and went outside to play. My mom and dad called me back in for his step.

[RevRick]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

I saw it live in black and white. A fantastic day. I only wish we had really followed through.... To think, Neil never saw us return to the moon or beyond. Sad.

Amen to both... only I saw it in boot camp. The CC brought in a black and white portable and we gathered round at 2:00 AM or so (Oops. 0200 hours!) I have been griping and complaining, writing, calling, and generally making a nuisance of myself with any politician I could button hole for a couple of minutes about not going back to the moon since 1972. When the current occupant of the White House decided to go for the glam shot and a Mars trip, I just about came unglued. A bigger FUBAR you will never find. Mars will cost us more in money and lives than it will ever be worth, and the moon is a very handy base to have. The technogical research necessary for such a trip will reverberate through the every day lives of people in the world far more deeply and quickly than any shot at another planet when we haven't even established ourselves on our nearest neighbor. We should have been there when Arthur C. told us we should have been - 2001 at the latest.

[Rebel Yell]

I was 6 when I watched it. The most incredible thing ever, at the time.

Godspeed Neil.

[tc464]

I was 7 at the time and living in a little town called Arenzano, just outside of Genoa, Italy. The Herald Tribune was only available every few days back then, so my parents had me and my brother translate the Italian papers for all of the Americans living in that village at the time.

[whippleofd]

I was born on 20 July 1962. Heck of a birthday present, even if I wasn't able to fully understand the significance of event at the time.

Whipple

[Schanilec]

I was 10. What great day in the neighborhood. Back then other space shots during school hours were broadcast to the entire school on TV.