I stopped by my parents house on the way back from the S2KI World Headquarters(!) meet tonight. My dad had cleaned out some stuff in the garage, and gave me (among other things) a copy of the International Herald Tribune, Paris edition.

Here are the headlines:

--above fold

MAN ON MOON
Two Astronauts Land Craft Safely, Prepare to Walk on Surface Today

--below fold

Other News

Kennedy Faces Charge After Fatal Accident

5 Egyptian Planes Reported Shot Down

Nixon Plans to Outline New Welfare Policy

Wheeler Doubt Lull Means De-Escalation

boxed: Nixon Leads U.S. in Prayer For Astronauts Safe Return

10 Miles Above Surface--Red Craft Enters New Orbit Nearer Moon

Astronauts' Conversations--As Eagle Descends on Moon

Isn't it funny how the events of the past are still with us?

The Kennedy story is (of course) about Chappaquidick. The Egyptians were shot down by the Israelis, "Wheeler" was a U.S. general discussing Saigon, and I'm still amazed that we put men on the moon using slide rulers and tube transistors. Nixon leading the nation in prayer is a far cry from allowing the 10 Commandments on public property that we are discussing today.

 

shame on your father for failing to recycle that decades ago!

 

I saved a bunch of newspapers to add to the collection my parents gave me. I have the one when we landed on the moon. I believe I also have the Kennedy assassination as well as when the Japanese surrendered in WWII. Of course, my favorite is when the Indians went to the World Series.

 

Cordy,

How come he didn't give you the one about Nixon resigning or Agnew resigning?

 

Rob,

It was literally the only newpaper he kept. He also had some REALLY COOL Porsche paraphrenalia (356C driver's manual, etc.), and an picture of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche standing next to my mom (in bellbottoms) in front of our 356 Speedster.

We were living in Sweden at the time, and as ex-pats I'm sure that my dad felt a certain amount of pride that Americans had landed on the moon. The under the fold stuff was not the point.

You've got to admit that there were some pretty historical events going on in 1969--some of them are still reverberating.

 

Cordy,

I was just teasing you about Nixon and Agnew.

Yes, in those few years there were events that went on to shape the future more than we ever imagined. It was an exciting period.

 

Where were you on the evening of 20 Jul 69 (EDT) when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon?

I remember that evening very well. My father had always followed the space program and from Allan Shepard's first launch had always waken us to watch the launches. He worked nights and would come home and would wake us up a few minutes before the launch to watch it. He would always say: "This is history being made". In retrospect all these years later I am glad that he did wake us up to watch the launches. He was right.

On the evening of 20 Jul 69 I was at Al's Stereo Bar on 111th Street and Liberty Avenue. I few blocks away from where Ralper and I grew up. One of the things that I will never forget was watching the images on the TV with the scroll across the bottom as the congratulations from all of the countries from around the world poured in including the USSR. The thing that made it extra special was the song that came on the juke box at that time (Al's Stereo Bar was known for it's sound system). It was the "Youngbloods" playing "Get together". Some how at that moment in time, all of humanity seemed to be united in this great achievement.

 

It's interesting that I remember seeing the images on TV but for the life of me I can't remember where I was. I can usually remember where I was when something of this magnitude occured.

I think I was home but I'm not sure. It was quite an event.

 

We had a television and many of our neighbors who didn't have a television came over to our place to watch man land on the moon. I was little but it was quite an event from what I could gather. I can still picture people peering at the television which didn't have very good reception. It was a significant moment.

 

Rob,

Have you ever been to Al's Stereo Bar at 111 Street and Liberty Avenue underneath the "famed "A" train Elevated line"?