Guys. Look at this. It is so cool. This is the speech that President Nixon had his speech-writer (William Safire) prepare in case the Apollo 11 mission (that’s Armstrong on the moon, children) had failed. I got it here. I’d never really considered the fact that if Neil and Buzz couldn’t get the rockets to restart, that would be the end of that. No rescue mission. No hope of salvation (and what a story plot resides right there, in that thought). It’s a sobering idea attached to what is pretty much a huge adventure story. (Rest in Peace, Mr. Armstrong, an epic man of flesh and blood.)
Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.
These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice. These two men are laying down their lives in mankind’s most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding.
They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.
In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one: in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.
In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.
Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man’s search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.
For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.
(6) Comments for this blog
How different life would be if that mission had failed.
How different life would be if that mission had failed.
Wow. That’s an amazing speech. I’m so glad it didn’t turn out that way and he didn’t have to use it. But still, interesting.
Wow. That’s an amazing speech. I’m so glad it didn’t turn out that way and he didn’t have to use it. But still, interesting.
Preparing a what-if speech struck me originally like setting up a teleprompter for a Q&A session. How unauthentic. But on the other hand, if you want to communicate something powerful at an important time, maybe you better not abdicate to a hope for spontaneous brilliance. Thinking about the really important things that might occur, and distilling and crystallizing what you can contribute when they do, may be a great way to spend some down time. Sometimes, “just stand there” might not be enough.
Preparing a what-if speech struck me originally like setting up a teleprompter for a Q&A session. How unauthentic. But on the other hand, if you want to communicate something powerful at an important time, maybe you better not abdicate to a hope for spontaneous brilliance. Thinking about the really important things that might occur, and distilling and crystallizing what you can contribute when they do, may be a great way to spend some down time. Sometimes, “just stand there” might not be enough.