Neil Armstrong died today....

[RJ_Daley]

David, so far that is the best remembrance on this thread, IMO.  I can just imagine the excitement you felt and yet the little voice in your head saying 'no don't do it, don't bother him by approaching him as so many people probably do to his never ending annoyance... just enjoy the moment'.

Until we get a few brave and competent souls (who it seems always do come forward)  and we land a man on Mars, Armstrong for most of our past century and the next will remain the coolest and the leader in the pantheon of great human bravery, competence, and adventure on top of his genuine humility and deference to his supporting cast of engineers and aviators.  And not to overlook the other 11 and their crewman who remained in the orbiter.  I just can't believe I'm closing in on 64 and we haven't since that era achieved this extent of human endeavor and exploration beyond unmanned projects. 

[JLahrman]

There is also a tie-in to golf architecture since he was a member of Camargo.

I will always remember seeing Neil Armstrong and Jack Twyman (former UC and NBA player who did colore commentary for ABC with Chris Schenkel) sitting at a table on the patio at Camargo after my round there).

RIP to a true American hero.

Tough year for Camargo as Jack Twyman passed away just a few months ago as well. He had an interesting humanitarian story along with his NBA success.

[Marty Bonnar]

Maybe not very well-known in the US, but Neil was of course actually a Scotsman...

http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=0536

See, told you.

F.

[Doug Wright]

I was fortunate enough to have a VIP seat at the Apollo XI launch. We were less than a mile from the launch site - as close as observers could get - yet the Saturn 5 was so large that it seemed only a few hundred yards away. I remember thinking that there were 3 men sitting atop that thing and that what they were about to try might be impossible. The noise and earth-shaking vibration from the launch were almost disorienting. I kept thinking about those 3 guys - just incredibly brave and fearless. NASA did well in putting Neil Armstrong in charge - without him as captain it's questionable whether they would have made it back. A true national hero.

That's a great story Craig. I was totally taken by the NASA manned space program growing up, and watching Neil Armstrong step onto the moon on the evening of July 20, 1969 was an indelible life moment. One must also place this into context. Our country was just a year removed from the joint sadness of the MLK/RFK killings, and Vietnam and its divisiveness was in full swing. So this was a boost that America truly needed at the time.

[Peter Pallotta]

Nice thread. I'm reminded of an essay by Jospeh Campbell. He tells of being on the Yale campus a few days after Armstrong walked on the moon. On a poster/photo commemorating the moon landing some student had scrawled: "Who cares?" -- reflecting a sentiment that was common at the time amongst bright university types that the whole NASA moon programme was a nationalistic waste of billions of dollars that could have been better spent helping the poor or transforming inner city neighbourhoods. Campbell argued that this sentiment missed the point (and the depths) completely, i.e. that what Armstrong's small steps represented was the beginning of a profound transformation in human consciousness, the earth being seen -- for the first time -- as a part of the heavens. Campbell includes a photo and caption of an old Italian poet turning from his small black and white tv on which he is watching the moon walk and saying: "This is a night unlike any night in the history of the world". 

Peter

[Dan Kelly]

Nice thread. I'm reminded of an essay by Jospeh Campbell. He tells of being on the Yale campus a few days after Armstrong walked on the moon. On a poster/photo commemorating the moon landing some student had scrawled: "Who cares?" ....

How'd he know it was a student?

Even money it was a professor.

[Phil McDade]

One hopes that Neil Armstrong and John Glenn are having a talk about things that, heck, probably only the two of them can fully appreciate.


A true hero died today, and yes it's OT, but sometimes a break from golf architecture seems appropriate.


I'm not sure, in my lifetime (50+ years), I've known of a more American American than John Glenn. Grew up in a small town in Ohio. Twice volunteered to serve his country during wartime. A true war hero, who doubtless saved the lives of others. One of the 7 Mercury astronauts. First man to orbit the Earth; nearly died doing so. Served his country in public office. Dedicated time and money to his local university. Flew in the Space Shuttle at age 77. Met his best friend as a toddler, married her shortly after graduating from college, and they were together for 73 years. A wonderful tribute from the Columbus Dispatch:


http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/12/john-glenn/john-glenn.html

[Mike Sweeney]

A wonderful tribute from the Columbus Dispatch:


http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/12/john-glenn/john-glenn.html



Amazing life, and thanks for posting.


Semper Fidelis

[John Kavanaugh]

Since Mucci is no longer with us maybe one of these fine gentlemen can keep an eye out for Santa's arrival this year.

[Howard Riefs]

I'm not sure, in my lifetime (50+ years), I've known of a more American American than John Glenn. Grew up in a small town in Ohio. Twice volunteered to serve his country during wartime. A true war hero, who doubtless saved the lives of others. One of the 7 Mercury astronauts. First man to orbit the Earth; nearly died doing so. Served his country in public office. Dedicated time and money to his local university. Flew in the Space Shuttle at age 77. Met his best friend as a toddler, married her shortly after graduating from college, and they were together for 73 years. A wonderful tribute from the Columbus Dispatch:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/12/john-glenn/john-glenn.html

It's been said that Glenn may be the "last American hero." http://nyti.ms/2h31Dx6


Nice tribute by Phil above. One note: Glenn was actually the first American to obit the earth; two Soviets beat him to it. 


The NY Times and Post obits are also worthy of reading:


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/us/john-glenn-dies.html
wapo.st/2hpLYVt

[BHoover]

Since Mucci is no longer with us maybe one of these fine gentlemen can keep an eye out for Santa's arrival this year.

Classy as always