The Eagle and a Real Leader
During a speech before a Joint Session of Congress in May, 1961, President John
Kennedy set out the ambitious goal of sending a man to the moon and back safely
before the end of the decade.
On July 20, 1969, forty nine years ago this month, Astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke the words “the Eagle has landed” from inside his space capsule, indicating that he had successfully landed on the moon, just a few months short of Kennedy’s ambitious goal. All three astronauts returned safely and 12 more men walked in the moon during the next 3 1/2 years. Nobody has been there since December 1972.
It’s hard to believe that defining boomer moment happened that long ago. It’s also hard to believe that it was only 66 years from the first powered human flight at Kitty Hawk to the moon landing.
Recently our poor excuse for a president said something about the moon and Mars, but his attempt to inspire our return just won’t work.
The race to the moon helped unite our country during one of the most turbulent times in our nation’s history. Here we are, five decades later, experiencing more divisive turbulent times and we could certainly use some positive inspiration. The problem is that the president is the cause of this round of strife and I am certain he won’t be the person to inspire us to unite in any positive way.
The excitement and wonder of space travel is a thrilling part of our youth as boomers. For Gen X and Millenials, walking on the moon remains something to read about in history books and watch on You Tube. The only thing recently inspired by those events of decades ago is the name of the band Walk the Moon (who happen to be from Ohio, home of the Wright brothers).
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https://youtu.be/6JCLY0Rlx6Q
On July 20, 1969, forty nine years ago this month, Astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke the words “the Eagle has landed” from inside his space capsule, indicating that he had successfully landed on the moon, just a few months short of Kennedy’s ambitious goal. All three astronauts returned safely and 12 more men walked in the moon during the next 3 1/2 years. Nobody has been there since December 1972.
It’s hard to believe that defining boomer moment happened that long ago. It’s also hard to believe that it was only 66 years from the first powered human flight at Kitty Hawk to the moon landing.
Recently our poor excuse for a president said something about the moon and Mars, but his attempt to inspire our return just won’t work.
The race to the moon helped unite our country during one of the most turbulent times in our nation’s history. Here we are, five decades later, experiencing more divisive turbulent times and we could certainly use some positive inspiration. The problem is that the president is the cause of this round of strife and I am certain he won’t be the person to inspire us to unite in any positive way.
The excitement and wonder of space travel is a thrilling part of our youth as boomers. For Gen X and Millenials, walking on the moon remains something to read about in history books and watch on You Tube. The only thing recently inspired by those events of decades ago is the name of the band Walk the Moon (who happen to be from Ohio, home of the Wright brothers).
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