DARE TO DREAM

Captivated by the idea of space travel, like many American young people of the space race era of the fifties, I read with enthusiasm all the news about Sputnik (launched October 4, 1957) and the Russian space program.  Many discredited the news as propaganda initiated by the Russians to gain prominence, or the American Government to frighten Americans sufficiently to encourage participation (especially funding) in a space program long desired by the scientific community.

Still others regarded the news as Russian propaganda designed to frighten the US into submission to their ideals, while some simply refused to believe the satellite existed. How could any object travel l8, 000 miles per hour? However, the satellite was visible by the naked eye.

The Korean Police Action had settled sufficiently to allow life to proceed without fear of disruption among young adults (Vietnam had not as yet surfaced), and we soon had a young, energetic President who rushed to embrace the proponents of space travel and announced to the world, “America will reach the moon in this decade (sixties).” America erupted into action.

As a resident of Galveston County, Texas, I lived near Clear Creek, the isolated marshes where my friends hunted duck and other wildlife on property owned by then Senator, Lyndon Johnson.  The early sixties revealed that the swamp, purchased by the US Government, would be the future home of the Houston Space Center.  Apparently, America is serious about this new venture.

Meanwhile, my family moved to Florida, the home of space exploration, where experimentation with rockets and space travelers flourished at Cape Canaveral.  I read with passion the stories of the pioneering astronauts in their book, WE SEVEN.

As fate arranged my life, our family moved to Daytona Beach where General Electric Company had located to be near the Cape as they pursued their contract with NASA.  Employed by Honeywell Corporation in Clearwater, FL, for some time, I acquired some knowledge of the organization of NASA programs and understood enough to impress the recruiters.  I stepped into the exciting world of space exploration.

From the first day, I knew this would be a challenging and exciting journey.  The ultimate goal of reaching the moon in the decade became the total aim of everyone involved.  The assassination of President John Kennedy reinforced this determination.  With amazing fortitude the unbelievable ability to innovate, the heroes of the moonshot labored day and sometimes night to seek and find the answers to impossible questions.  They overcame unimaginable obstacles, they solved problems inconceivable before the moonshot, and they succeeded in record time to reach the goal.

In May 1969, I resigned from General Electric to relocate in Atlanta because my husband transferred with Eastern Airlines.  I missed the final hurrah although I did experience the thrill of knowing we (all of those tens of thousands of men and women in offices, factories, laboratories, and test sites – the heroes of the program) had reached the goal.  On July 20, 1969, I watched the television with wonder as Neil Armstrong stepped from the Lunar Lander with his now famous words, “One small step for man and a giant leap for mankind.”

Recently, I listened to Buzz Aldrin, one of the original seven, review his book, MISSION TO MARS. His optimism that our country can reach such a lofty goal is refreshing.  However, with the current environment and the lethargic attitude of our country, I cannot see Mars in our future. Remembering all of the remarkable innovations that make our lives more comfortable and progressive that resulted from the moonshot research and development, I am hopeful that some new, challenged heroes will evolve and dare to dream.