52nd Anniversary of Lunar Landing

Shortly after being elected, President John F. Kennedy had challenged the nation to put a man on the moon. This mission came to realization, during the summer of 1969. It was the mission of Apollo 11 to land two men on the moon, then return them safely to Earth. It was one of the most historic events. It demonstrated what man can do with determination, effort, imagination and ingenuity. 

 I was a child on the warm evening of July 20, 1969. I was playing with friends just outside my home in New York. We were all waiting in anticipation for the televised broadcast of the first lunar landing in human history. It was also the first time that man was able to go beyond the gravitational pull of Earth. We had finally reached a moment in history, where we could travel and conduct exploration beyond the surface of our own planet. As the time for the moon walk approached, our parents called out to us that the broadcast was only minutes away. We all ran inside and planted ourselves in front of the television. A camera in the Lunar Module provided live television coverage of the event. 

Then it happened, Commander Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface and became the first man on the moon. He declared his historic words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." It was truly an astonishing and inspirational moment. An incredible feeling of amazement overcame me. I had witnessed one of the greatest moments in the history of mankind. We had reached and touch the surface of another orbiting body in our solar system. Travel to the moon was no longer a science fiction tale but a true marvel of science. That day made us believe that anything was possible. We witnessed the American flag placed on the moon's surface as a reminder of the accomplishment. Armstrong and Aldrin also placed a commemorative plaque with the inscription, HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON JULY 1969, A.D. WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND. 

Today, more than fifty years later, I am still amazed by the events made possible by the men and women of the Apollo 11 mission. This is a day that will forever be set in my mind. We are even talking about sending a manned mission to Mars. We are in search of intelligent life. Perhaps, we may even discover that the intelligent life is us. As the ancient adage says, "May you live in interesting times." We do.

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