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Apollo 8: Gifts from Long Ago


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Pajamas Media:

Apollo 8: Gifts from Long Ago
“Something was going right. Something made us proud."
August 21, 2010 - by J. Christian Adams

During Christmastime in 1968, one of the most significant events in human history occurred. The flight of Apollo 8 marked the first time humans departed Earth orbit and traveled to the dark side of the moon. The Christmas Eve lunar orbit of Apollo 8 also marked one of most profoundly unifying moments for our nation. The journey to space was on everyone’s mind Christmas morning. And the fulfillment of man’s most ancient dream was illuminated by man’s most ancient text, while the entire world watched in wonder.

With the eventual landing of Apollo 11 on the surface of the moon, the achievement of Apollo 8 was nudged into the background. School textbooks teach about Apollo 11, but not Apollo 8. Yet the lunar landing of Apollo 11 merely capped off the journey of Apollo 8. As the world watched on live television, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders departed Earth orbit for space and orbited the moon for the first time.snip
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Geee

 

America was beat down and weary by the unraveling throughout 1968. Tet launched. Assassination followed assassination. American cities were torched. Political discourse turned into mob chaos. The unhinged left filled the streets of western European cities while their martial comrades in Soviet tanks rolled into eastern European cities and unleashed death and repression.

 

I will never forget that night. Willy Irons and I are guarding Alert Pad 18 Osan AFB, it was a cold (Shocking news....it gets a bit brisk in Korea :blink:) windless night with a full moon out, I looked up at the moon and said to Willy..."Dig it...there are Americans up there right now." We just stood there for looking and thinking of that for a couple of minutes. 42 years ago, but it seems like it was yesterday, the memory is so vivid.

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