An Evening With Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin

     

We all remember where we were on July 20th, 1969.

 I was studying for a nutrition test in nursing school, & of course Buzz Aldrin was doing some original moon walking!

About 6 weeks ago I purchased tickets for Buzz Aldrin's presentation which RJ Julia Independent Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut was preparing to host. Madison's almost an hour and a half from where we live. We're familiar with that part of the state as my mother lived in Guilford for decades, a neighboring town. My husband & I would pop into RJ Julia's loads of time during those years. Their book selection is always outstanding, plus they have a lovely cafe & gift shop within the premises. 

The Aldrin talk was being held at the First Congregational Church on the Madison Green due to the anticipation of an overflowing crowd. And right they were! There was close to 500 space enthusiasts in the church with us last night, people of all generations. One mother had her son of 5 or 6  years old proudly outfitted in his white NASA space suit.

While sitting in the church's pew I met Don who was to my left with his grade school grandson. He looked like a friendly interesting man so we got to talking & introduced ourselves to one another. He told me his son gave him tickets to this event for his 84th birthday which also was the same as our son's, January 18th. I asked Don if he remembers where he was when Armstrong & Aldrin landed on the moon. "I certainly do." This soft spoken gentleman said, "I was one of the mechanics that worked on the space module. I was quality control."  My Oh my what a thrill that was to hear! I told Don my father also worked on the space program. He had worked for a company that was contracted with NASA. My dad was a scientist & helped develop the fuel cells used on some past missions. Our family has been hugh fans of the space program as far back as I could recall. I told Don something he already knew, but I was compelled to say- that he & his team did a great job on the spacecraft. After all the two astronauts returned to earth safely, & here's Buzz about to join us for his presentation & well into his mid 80's too! 

  

Above is Don the delightful gentleman who worked on the Lunar Space Module. He's holding a poster from 1969. On it are pictures from the Apollo II mission, & the thousands of signatures including Don's, of all the people who worked on the Apollo II mission. He brought the poster in hopes that Buzz would put his present John Hancock on it. We don't know if that happened but certainly hope so.

The man of the hour
~Buzz Aldrin~

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