Where were you when man landed on the moon?

[AllThatJazzZ]

It is often said that people always know where they were when significant historical events take place. That's certainly true of most people, me included. Except for the moon landing. What makes it more incredible is that I was working at NASA at the time!

I started working at there when it was still MSC (Manned Spacecraft Center). It was my first real job out of high school. I started in '66 and left in '70. Unfortunately, my husband was terminally ill and had ups and downs with his health, so the best explanation I can come up with is that the moon landing took place when he was having a medical crisis. We spent a LOT of time at the VA. Anyway, I literally have zero recollection of the moon landing!

Here's a funny twist, though. There was a concert in the Dome a few weeks later, and I do remember that. Apparently, whatever the situation was with my husband in July of 1979 had improved by August, because we attended that concern. I remember vividly Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon," a song which was originally named "In Other Words." It was a wonderful night, and we so appreciative for the recognition of our efforts.

After my husband's passing, I moved away from the NASA area. Eventually I moved back and worked in the space biz (Shuttle, MMU, Solar Max Repair Mission, EMUs, food testing) for several more years, but it was never quite as exciting as those early days.

Where were you when our astronauts landed on the moon? Did anyone here work in the space program? Are other communities observing the 50th anniversary or is it just us Houstonians who are making a big deal of it? It was somewhat a theme of tonight's Astros game, but the big celebration will be on Monday which will include MLB-approved commemorative caps. Can't wait!

[Sighlass]

I don't remember, I was pretty young to be honest. I remember when the space shuttle blew up years and years later.

[AllThatJazzZ]

BTW, all this space biz stuff reminded me of the political move on Obama's part to NOT award Houston a Shuttle model. Instead it went to New York. Who remembers this?

https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/space-shuttle-museums-houston-snubbed-york-los-angeles/story?id=13384589

Well certainly! Why should a place whose nickname is Space City, whose basketball team is called the Rockets, whose baseball team is called the Astros (with a mascot named Orbit), whose stadium is the Astrodome, and who was home to the astronauts, just to name a few qualifications, be considered to receive a shuttle?

Not long after, we heard this wonderful statesman-like response from Chuck the Schmuck:


Error 404 (Not Found)!!1

I'm sorry, but "don't mess with New York" just doesn't cut it. What a jackass.

[AllThatJazzZ]

I don't remember, I was pretty young to be honest. I remember when the space shuttle blew up years and years later.

Yes, that was an awful day. I was in the hospital and hadn't heard the news. My mother called me to see if I was okay. That's how I learned. So shocking.

[Free Vulcan]

Probably in diapers hanging out in the crib.

[LilLamb]

I grew up in Houston. I was 11 years old and remember sitting in the living room watching it with my whole family. It was very exciting when we heard the first word said on the moon was Houston. It’s a great memory.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Weeks 15 to 18:

    At this stage, baby's skin is almost transparent.
    Fine hair called lanugo develops on baby's head.
    Muscle tissue and bones keep developing, and bones become harder.
    Baby begins to move and stretch.
    The liver and pancreas produce secretions.
    Your little one now makes sucking motions.

So, pretty much where I am now.

[jmyrlefuller]

Over a decade away from being born.

[Smokin Joe]

I was a mite shy of 13, sitting on my parent's couch, up late to watch the feed of Armstrong stepping off the LEM. I had followed every launch (along with Jose Jiminez) since Alan Shephard's suborbital flight.

I am a space age brat, and remain bitterly disappointed that we just stopped with manned extra-orbital missions when we did.
We should have had colonies on the Moon and Mars by now.
Instead, all we got were bigger debts and swarms of fat and ungrateful 'poor people', with all the same problems, the same addictions, just writ larger. (Oh, and less freedom!)

[Slide Rule]

It was a remarkable time.

I was with my college buddy room mate. John and I were at
his fiance's house, or rather her dads home. Spent the day
there. John and I worked for the same company.

About six pm or so, the brother of the fiance drown in the
pool. An 8 year old in the pool was screaming. We all rushed
out and pulled the limp body to the deck next to the pool.
The neighbor was older and started resuscitation.

Went on about a minute or so with out any change. Where
John and I worked they gave resuscitation classes quite often.
I noticed from the ABC that the air portion seemed blocked
reached in and tilted the head back so the jaw was upward.
Immediately we could hear the air and in seconds the body
came to life.

As I said it was a remarkable time.

The boy was checked out at the hospital and was ok. We
all stayed. And late that morning watched a human foot
touch the moon's surface.


As a side, I also went to college with Bob. Bob worked on the inertial
guidance system for Apollo.


They ordered 10,000 gyroscopes to a tight tolerance. All the gyros were
tested and they took the four with the least errors to base their system
on. They then made correction curves for each of the four. Three were
in play and a forth was for backup. Who but the very best could come up
with such a scheme? It was right down his alley. Providing accuracy for
the trip to a degree far beyond what was typically possible.


Bob was a hell of an engineer and a good drinking buddy. Your's and Ours
was a favorite after a night class. Haven't spoken to him for some time.
Last I knew he resided in Chicago.


He was as good an engineer as could be made and the smartest Polack I
ever knew.


John, Bob and I took MSEE degrees the same year. It was a remarkable
time and has been a remarkable life.


:)

[Elderberry]

I still live less than 3 miles from where I grew up in Houston. My dad always brought me NASA photo packs as a kid. I'd see capsules behind the NASA building on Telephone & Westover. And several times when my dad would take us looking at Christmas lights, I'd see a capsule with Santa waving from a capsule in a Bellaire? yard.

We would spend our summers in Georgia at my grandparents. So that's where a full house watched the landing together.

Little did I know that I would work supporting the Space Shuttle for 30 years. I so wanted to support the Shuttle Replacement, but that's another story. I had worked with several that supported in the Apollo days and came back to support the shuttle. I think I've become too lazy to come back to support again.

[Applewood]

I told this story in an another thread.  Sorry for repeating it.

I was a teenager at the time.  My terminally ill grandmother was living with my parents, brother and me.  Grandma was in terrible pain and the only relief came from meds that made her sleep -- almost like a coma.  The landing was scheduled for late at night, and Grandma was determined to see it.  She refused her pain meds so she could be awake to watch the landing with the rest of us. 

I still remember the joy and wonder on Grandma's face when she saw the landing and heard those famous words from Neil Armstrong.  Grandma was a peasant woman from a small village in Italy.   People like her in that environment would never have dreamed anyone would be able to travel to the moon. 

After more months of agony, Grandma was called home in November of that year.  When I think about the moon landing, I always think of her and fondly remember that look of amazement on her face.  That look was worth far more than gold.

[catfish1957]

I grew up in Houston. I was 11 years old and remember sitting in the living room watching it with my whole family. It was very exciting when we heard the first word said on the moon was Houston. It’s a great memory.

I was a 12 y.o sprawled out on my parents floor in front of our brand new fangled Color TEEE VEEE........

Was a sci-fi junkie so I was stoked about this!!!!!!

[PeteS in CA]

In the literal sense, I was here, in the cottage at the right of the picture. I was in my early teens, and my family was vacationing there. We had kind of lost track of time, but a family in a neighboring cottage had not and had brought a portable B & W TV. They invited us over a we watched coverage on, I believe, a station from SF. Between distance and having just the TV's built-in rabbit ears it was very snowy.

[Bigun]

I had been back from Vietnam for less than two years, married for just over a year, and a brand new baby girl on board.  Had other things on my mind so don't remember much about it other than the news reports.

[skeeter]

In the 5th grade in San Jose CA.

[truth_seeker]

Undergoing rigorous US Army advanced individual training, at Fort Ord (Marina CA)

[sneakypete]

I was standing on a street in Sydney,Australia,watching it on a department store tv. I was there on R&R from Viet Nam.  I had no idea it was even happening,and just walked over there to see what the crowd was looking at.
When I asked "What's going on?",all the Australians recognized my accent and started congratulating me,and I had no idea what I was being congratulated for.

My camp in VN was up near the edge of the mountains,and we couldn't get the armed forces network on tv or radio. I don't even think there was a VN radio or tv station in range,either.

No big loss since we stayed too busy to be watching much tv anyhow. Besides,there wasn't much worth watching in 1969 even if you got all the channels. I bet I didn't watch 5 hours of tv from 1964 to 1976 or so. Other than "Lonesome Dove",I don't seem to have missed much,either.

[sneakypete]

Probably in diapers hanging out in the crib.

@Free Vulcan

Cheer up! There are people your age who are STILL doing that this very day.

When they ain't voting for a Dim candidate,that is. Although many of them as so "quick" they are able to vote and not even remember it!

[corbe]

   Don't remember much of 69.  Stopped smoking pot in 70 and joined the USAF. Now I don't remember what I posted last night, damn pot!

[musiclady]

At home between my Sophomore and Junior year in college, watching it on our black and white Philco (my cheap father didn't give in to get a color TV until the next year).

I had watched every flight since the first Alan Shepherd blip.  My cousin was in the navy and was on the ship that rescued him, and we were PROUD of that!

Also, Neil Armstrong was an Ohioan, and what with John Glenn and the Wright Brothers, we fellow Ohio natives grabbed up that "First in Flight" designation (that NC stole from us for its license plates!  )

[mountaineer]

I had just turned 13, living in Pittsburgh, and my parents got us kids all out of bed to watch it on TV in the family room.

That was a beautiful story about your grandma, @Applewood

[Applewood]

I had just turned 13, living in Pittsburgh, and my parents got us kids all out of bed to watch it on TV in the family room.

That was a beautiful story about your grandma, @Applewood

Thanks @mountaineer   If I remember right, we kids were told to go to bed; then Mom got us up a few hours later to watch the landing.  I was thinking the landing was after midnight, maybe a few hours later. 

[Cyber Liberty]

Sprawled on the Family Room floor, watching it on the TeeVee.  I was 11.

[LilLamb]

I was a 12 y.o sprawled out on my parents floor in front of our brand new fangled Color TEEE VEEE........

Was a sci-fi junkie so I was stoked about this!!!!!!

We got our first color tv in 67. I’m pretty sure my dad got it so he could watch Star Trek in color.