Moonwalk

I was only 4 when Armstrong first walked on the moon. I don't remember that specific event, but I do remember getting up early several mornings to watch "the rockets". A dozen or more years later I would get up at 3 am or so to watch the shuttles take off. I grew up idolizing Armstrong, but the astronauts I remember seeing were Crippen and Young, Engle and Truly, Lousma and Fullerton, Mattingly and Hartsfield. And America finally joined the Soviets when Sally Ride went into space, something Valentina Tereshkova did in 1963.

The suburb I grew up in, North Highlands, had a Moonwalk Parade each year to commorate the big event. I remember marching in it myself once, with my cub scout troop. I'm only a few miles from North Highlands now, but I've heard nothing about such a parade. In fact, I've lived here for 8 years now and haven't once heard reference to a Moonwalk Parade. I hope it hasn't gone the way of the dodo but I fear it has. What a fantastic event to celebrate!

Update, 7/21/05 12:16 am: Here's an interesting article that says that the Apollo program never was designed for true exploration, and the shuttle sucks.