"Apollo 11" documentary

[Mike Lewis]

For spaceflight aficiondos, especially those of us old enough to remember the Apollo program (which is, er, most of us), I highly recommend the documentary "Apollo 11" which was released early this year and is now available on DVD. I watched it last night and it is simply wonderful. I looked in vain for my twelve-year-old self on the causeway to Cape Canaveral (I was there), but that was my only disappointment; I thought it was a great film.

The documentary includes still photos and motion shots that I don't think have ever been released to the public before, e.g. film taken from inside the LM of Armstrong as he descended the LM's ladder and stepped onto the moon's surface.

I'm going to buy a copy of this DVD to give to my cousin on his 90th birthday in a couple of weeks. He used to work at the cape and was with me on the day Apollo 11 blasted off. He used to take the astronauts duck hunting.

So watch the film with some young people so they can have a great history lesson.

[Jack L]

Thanks for sharing. I'll have to get a copy. We are taking my granddaughter to the Museum of Flight in Seattle in 2 weeks. Granddaughter is really interested in the space program and Apollo 11 is on display there. I'm looking forward to seeing JFK's Air Force One.

[Eggscape]

“That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind. Words said when Armstrong first stepped onto the Moon (20 July 1969).”

Every time I walk off the step of our 19 onto the ground I fell like I am reliving Armstrong leaping off the landing leg onto the moon.

Below is a picture of me on the right with my Mom and Dad. We watched the landing on a portable tv on that boat...that day.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Eggscape

Every time I walk off the step of our 19 onto the ground I fell like I am reliving Armstrong leaping off the landing leg onto the moon.

I have the same sensation. Not long after I bought my trailer I sent a photo of it to a friend in D.C. She responded by saying it looked like a spaceship. I agreed, then told her it was time for me to do an EVA and take out the trash.

[jnfrombigt]

I missed all that. They landed on the moon at almost the same time I landed in Northern I Corps.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes, I remember watching it while in boot camp and I also remember the lottery system was initiated that summer and my number would have prevented me from being there. Oh well I put that 4 year stint to good use 34 years later.

[JStelly]

Ditto. It’s a great movie. Growing up in Houston on the south side of town, many of my friend’s fathers worked at NASA. For those interested there is a great podcast produced by the Houston Chronicle called “Cigarettes and Rocket Fuel”. It’s produced as a weekly radio show covering the events of the space program, Houston and the world from February 69 to July 69. It’s a fun podcast to reminisce about the events of the spring/summer of 69.

[abby]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Yes, I remember watching it while in boot camp and I also remember the lottery system was initiated that summer and my number would have prevented me from being there. Oh well I put that 4 year stint to good use 34 years later.

Four-year stints were not all that common back then; three was the standard enlistment. (Draftees, of course, did two -- if they were lucky). Sounds like a story.

Glenn

[Rossue]

Was fortunate to have lived in Cocoa Beach from 1967-1971. Loved all the launches; nothing like a Saturn 5 rocket going up. Next best thing was the I Dream Of Jeannie parade every year.

[MyronL]

I watched it with about 50+ guys in the Day Room, HQ Co, USTRATCOM, Ft Dietrich, MD.

[Greg A]

My Uncle, Robert McCall was the official NASA artist from the early 60’s through the Apollo program. His three story Moon Landing mural graces the entry to the Air n Space Museum in DC. He painted the mural in the 70’s when I was in HS there and I would go down to visit and watch the progress. Our family was always immersed in Space, Uncle Bob’s stories, and getting to meet many of the Astronauts. Great stuff.

[Telescopist]

Thanks for the tip Mike. I've watched a couple of the Saturn V's go up. Life altering experience.

[Farther]

Originally Posted by abby

Four-year stints were not all that common back then; three was the standard enlistment. (Draftees, of course, did two -- if they were lucky). Sounds like a story.

I could be wrong but if memory serves me, everybody's commitment was for six years with a mix of active duty, active reserve, and reserve. For all practical purposes, draftees were done after two years of active duty. My lottery number was 26 but I avoided active duty with a combination of Army ROTC, 2S deferment and hard parachute landing on my 5th jump and then, of course, the war ending about 1973. My obligation timed out.

My older brother enlisted after receiving his draft notice and served two combat tours in Vietnam resulting in 100% service-connected disability mostly from Agent Orange exposure.

Now we have another generation of wounded warriors and the threat of more with visions of Tonkin Gulf and WMD occurring in the Arabian Gulf. Thank you for your service and sorry for getting off topic.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Farther

I could be wrong but if memory serves me, everybody's commitment was for six years with a mix of active duty, active reserve, and reserve. For all practical purposes, draftees were done after two years of active duty. My lottery number was 26 but I avoided active duty with a combination of Army ROTC, 2S deferment and hard parachute landing on my 5th jump and then, of course, the war ending about 1973. My obligation timed out.

My older brother enlisted after receiving his draft notice and served two combat tours in Vietnam resulting in 100% service-connected disability mostly from Agent Orange exposure.

Now we have another generation of wounded warriors and the threat of more with visions of Tonkin Gulf and WMD occurring in the Arabian Gulf. Thank you for your service and sorry for getting off topic.

That is how it was for this draftee. I listened to the landing on AFR in Viet Nam during my last 3 weeks with the 101st near Hue.

[abby]

Originally Posted by Farther

I could be wrong but if memory serves me, everybody's commitment was for six years with a mix of active duty, active reserve, and reserve.

That's my recollection also. But the active duty commitment differed: draftees 2 years and enlistees, generally, 3 years. But there were a few circumstances where the enlistment requirement was 4 years. ASA was one such example.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by abby

That's my recollection also. But the active duty commitment differed: draftees 2 years and enlistees, generally, 3 years. But there were a few circumstances where the enlistment requirement was 4 years. ASA was one such example.

1 year 9 months for me. I was drafted, when I came back from Viet Nam in 1968, I had less than 3 months of my 2 yrs active left. As such I was discharged from active duty. I was active only 1yr 9 mo. I never did another day of military service (no reserves at all). I would think others would have had the same experience, it was common knowledge and I extended my tour 3 months to make it home with less than 90 days left. Right before coming home I took R&R in Australia and was to be shipped back to the states within a few days when I got back in Viet Nam but the Tet Offensive happened and I was kept an extra week or so.

[arniesea]

My lottery # was 23. In 1973 Nixon ended the draft with #20 being the last number called for those born in 1953. (Whew!)

[abby]

Originally Posted by Ronn

1 year 9 months for me. I was drafted, when I came back from Viet Nam in 1968, I had less than 3 months of my 2 yrs active left. As such I was discharged from active duty. I was active only 1yr 9 mo. I never did another day of military service (no reserves at all). I would think others would have had the same experience, it was common knowledge and I extended my tour 3 months to make it home with less than 90 days left. Right before coming home I took R&R in Australia and was to be shipped back to the states within a few days when I got back in Viet Nam but the Tet Offensive happened and I was kept an extra week or so.

Early-outs were common. Once you were of little or no use to them, they'd be happy to be rid of you. And enlistees could get an early-out to go back to school (typically up to 6 months) if you had served a tour somewhere and there was too little time to send you out again. Incidentally, Marines in Vietnam had a 13-month tour comprised of two 6-month tours with 30 days R&R sandwiched in between. Sorry to have continued the hijacking of this thread.

Back to Apollo 11: How about Buzz Aldrin? One cool dude, yes?

[Mike Lewis]

I'm currently visiting my cousin in Orlando, who celebrated his 90th birthday yesterday (yes, ninety!). He worked at the cape in the early 60s and knew some of the Mercury / Gemini / Apollo astronauts. He used to take them duck hunting.