<p>There’s another reason why today is such an important day…besides my b-day (LOL). 38 years ago today the Eagle landed!!!</p>
<p>How exciting was that (for those of us who are old enough to remember)? We sort of take for granted the whole technology thing that made it all possible- now with the shuttle that comes and goes. But wow, what a thrilling thing to watch at the time!</p>
<p>I grew up in Cocoa Beach and at the time EVERYONE’S dad worked at the Cape. The biggest argument you’d hear growing up was not “my dad can beat up your dad,” but rather “my dad pushes the button, not yours!” </p>
<p>In those days the gantries were on the cape, viewable from anywhere along the beach. Since then, the shuttles take off from an inland location, so you have to be in a boat on the intercoastal to gets a bird’s eye view. </p>
<p>Our elementary school was a block from the beach. For each and every launch, alll of us students would be dutifully lined up and marched down to the beach so we could all view our parent’s “handiwork” in all its glory. </p>
<p>Of course, the Saturn V/Apollo 11 launched during the summer. Anyone remember where they were and what they were doing the day Man landed on the moon?</p>
<p>Absolutely! I was at the Moon Party at Jim R.'s house in NJ. It was a co-ed all-night party but no one slept, we all stayed up to watch the all-night coverage, had a 7-foot-long submarine sandwich, and generally made great memories. Crowding around Jimmy’s TV wrapped in sleeping bags… I remember it well.</p>
<p>I was at Boy Scout camp. The staff set up a television in the window of one of the buildings and we sat outside on benches watching the first walk on the moon. It was a hot night, and if I remember correctly, a lot of us were out there wearing nothing but shorts. I wish I had a picture of it.</p>
<p>I remember it being a very hot night in Connecticut. Our little black and white TV was in one of the front rooms of our pre-Revolutionary colonial which was the coolest room in the house – no AC, just fans.</p>
<p>Very grainy picture – and then the crackly voice “One small step for (a?) man, one giant leap for mankind.”</p>
<p>I was a five year-old living in Mexico City and I really don’t remember it, BUT in one of our family photo albums, there is a picture of it taken by my father…That is, a picture of our little black and white T.V. with the image of shuttle either taking off or landing…I’ll have to go look at that picture again!</p>
<p>Happy Birthday, doubleplay!
We had no TV, and I remember walking to a neighbor’s house where at least 20 people crowded around a little black and white TV on a hot evening. It was so exciting! I hope your birthday wasn’t too overshadowed by it, though- I was a teen then myself, and birthdays were still pretty big for us!</p>
<p>Did you see that recent documentary (PBS maybe?) that interviewed individuals who tried to prove that the moon landing and moon walk were all a hoax, explaining that the shadows and flag movements were impossible- “a big conspiracy”, and the moon walk was just a camera trick??- kinda funny!</p>
<p>Happy birthday again to doubleplay. You are just 38? Whoa, a mere babe. </p>
<p>Happy birthday as well to Justamom. </p>
<p>I recall the moon walk. I went to an overnight camp every summer for 8 weeks (does anyone go for 8 weeks anymore?). We didn’t have TV there. But for the moon walk, they brought in a TV, a regular size TV, none of this big screen stuff they have today, and the ENTIRE coed camp, which was pretty big, sat in a big pavillion/gym and watched the event on this little TV. That’s how I remember it.</p>
<p>I was 17 yrs old and on a teen tour of Europe. We were woken up somewhere in Italy and crowded around a TV set in the lobby of the hotel (no TV’s in the rooms) and watched the landing ,with Italian commentary!!
My Russian Jewish immigrant grandfather was convinced (as were many others his age) that it was a staged event not a real landing…staged for the benefit of the Russians and the so called “arms race”,to show American superiority.</p>
<p>We were living in a trailer park a couple of blocks from the base. We had walked to the beach again that day. Sand so white it hurt your eyes. Laying on our blue beach towel I had all the colors of the flag covered.</p>
<p>I always turned a coppery red. Blistered and burned again. My sisters were all as brown dark as my dad when he got off the plane from Vietnam a few weeks earlier. Mom teased that back home we’d all have to sit upstairs at the show. We all laughed. </p>
<p>Did my sister really use baby oil and (Methiolate? Iodine? Mercurochrome? Someone helped me with this before. LOL. I still forget. ) to help her tan? I’m so going to have to remember to tell the doc to look at those spots.</p>
<p>We watched the landing on a 19" black and white TV we had rented from the 7-11 for the day. Our stuff was still in storage from our move to Granny’s when my dad went over. Half a box of tin-foil per rabbit ear seemed about right to us. </p>
<p>We were outside watching as the heat demanded you search for any breeze, even that late. A strangers’ chorus of sighs and gasps rose over the sound of buzzing mosquitos trying to make a living in the thickest air ever. Then sharp cries and cheers and congratulations. The hugs of those sweating strangers! Yuck!</p>
<p>We had all been in the race and we had all won a prize. We were all very proud. But it felt especially good to a 12 year old boy.</p>
<p>27 days later Camille would come and try to kill us all. Now that sucked. </p>
<p>"Did my sister really use baby oil and (Methiolate? Iodine? Mercurochrome? Someone helped me with this before. LOL. I forget. ) to help her tan? I’m so going to have to remember to tell the doc to look at those spots.</p>
<p>Curm, baby oil was the tanning product of choice when I was growing up. I will call and raise you on that story- Our family is part of the Melanoma Family Intervention Project at Fox Chase. :eek: I no longer sunbathe, but my brother who now lives up north will come “home” to Florida for a visit every spring and literally bake himself until he looks like a lobster. He’s in his 50’s!! Some people never learn…</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and the cure for those big huge blisters post tan? We’d go out in the backyard and break open an aloe plant and smear that sticky yellow goo all over ourselves.</p>
<p>condor, those glasses are definitely collector’s items.</p>
<p>TheDad, was there really a “Mr. Gorsky”? I heard that it wasn’t true, not sure whether the quote wasn’t true or the story behind it wasn’t true.</p>
I WISH! </p>