On July the 20th 1969, I was on my 20th day of Ranger school, earth was kicking my ass and winning. I wasn't aware that man had landed on the moon until I watched the second landing, Apollo 12, November 19, 1969, while recovering from malaria at 5th Convalescence Center, Cam Ranh Bay, S. Vietnam. Apollo 12 Audio From what I remember, the astronauts seemed goofy and irreverent in relation to the honor bestowed upon them and the fact that most of the world was watching. The audio seems to bear this out.

I'm sure that I lacked, for whatever reason, the necessary empathy for the danger they had, were and would yet endure. I had not yet questioned the motives and morality of the war I and 500,000 other Americans soldiers, sailors and airmen were engaged in, however the sufficient knowledge and conviction was not far away. I was definitely and profoundly aware of the stench, brutality and a newfound appreciation for the finality of death. The complete divorce from the levity and machismo of a military parade was even more bizarre. Even more remarkable- the unique, surreal, ominous and never ending and thunderous sounds of a war zone. The wrath of God would somehow be an inadequate description of what those sounds provoke. Upon returning to the United States, the silence was profound as well, the adjustment excruciating. Not sure I will ever get over Vietnam, everything before and after seems pale in comparison. Perhaps that's what affects my thoughts regarding space junk and our lack of accountability or reverence for space, mirroring our behavior on the only planet man will ever conceivably inhabit, the one that can not sustain much more of his destructive activities and definitely not provide the resources necessary for intergalactic manned exploration, the distances and the logistics too great. The following interactive feature is an interesting look at how 24 other humans remember the Apollo 11 landing. MC

Voices: Recalling July 20, 1969

NY Times

 

On July the 20th 1969, I was on my 20th day of Ranger school, earth was kicking my ass and winning. I wasn't aware that man had landed on the moon until I watched the second landing, Apollo 12, November 19, 1969, while recovering from malaria at 5th Convalescence Center, Cam Ranh Bay, S. Vietnam. Apollo 12 Audio From what I remember, the astronauts seemed goofy and irreverent in relation to the honor bestowed upon them and the fact that most of the world was watching. The audio seems to bear this out.

I'm sure that I lacked, for whatever reason, the necessary empathy for the danger they had, were and would yet endure. I had not yet questioned the motives and morality of the war I and 500,000 other Americans soldiers, sailors and airmen were engaged in, however the sufficient knowledge and conviction was not far away. I was definitely and profoundly aware of the stench, brutality and a newfound appreciation for the finality of death. The complete divorce from the levity and machismo of a military parade was even more bizarre. Even more remarkable- the unique, surreal, ominous and never ending and thunderous sounds of a war zone. The wrath of God would somehow be an inadequate description of what those sounds provoke. Upon returning to the United States, the silence was profound as well, the adjustment excruciating. Not sure I will ever get over Vietnam, everything before and after seems pale in comparison. Perhaps that's what affects my thoughts regarding space junk and our lack of accountability or reverence for space, mirroring our behavior on the only planet man will ever conceivably inhabit, the one that can not sustain much more of his destructive activities and definitely not provide the resources necessary for intergalactic manned exploration, the distances and the logistics too great. The following interactive feature is an interesting look at how 24 other humans remember the Apollo 11 landing. MC

Voices: Recalling July 20, 1969

NY Times