First Man
Page 90
“smooth crater field” NAA, 05:03:10:32 mission elapsed time.
“ascent was a very simple trajectory” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 26.
“we’ve been this nervous” Cronkite to Schirra, quoted in CBS, 10:56:20 P.M., p. 123.
“in deep concentration with our Lord” VEAP, “Apollo 11,” p. 10.
“see the American flag fall over” BA, RTE, p. 239.
“Oh, boy! Their words ‘beautiful’” Cronkite quoted in CBS, 10:56:20 P.M., p. 124.
“Columbia has no landing gear” MC, Liftoff, p. 10.
“eight hundred and fifty chances for me to screw it up” MC, CTM, p. 417.
“One little hiccup and they are dead men” Ibid., p. 418 .
“we felt comfortable in the situation” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 27.
“like a rocking chair going up and down” Ibid., p. 28.
“going right down U.S. 1” NAA, 05:04:25:35 mission elapsed time.
“pretty spectacular ride” NAA, 05:24:27:17 mission elapsed time.
“Three hours may seem like a long time” BA, RTE, p. 340.
“black-magical manipulations” MC, CTM, p. 419.
“make their move, thrusting toward me” Ibid., pp. 420–21.
“stay exactly on their prescribed approach path” Ibid., p. 421.
“feel that it is going to happen” Ibid., pp. 421–22.
“flew it right into gimbal lock” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 29.
“the surprise of my life” MC, CTM, p. 423.
“if this retraction fails” Ibid.
“busy there for a couple seconds” MC, mission elapsed time.
“cavort about a little bit” MC, CTM, p. 423.
“Our boys were together” VEAP, “Apollo 11,” p. 11.
“Man has finally visited the Moon” Cronkite quoted in CBS, 10:56:20 P.M., p. 131.
“dusting each other by hand” BA, RTE, p. 240.
“a fond farewell” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 30.
“something I have wondered about myself” Ibid.
started throwing question after question at his mates See also MC, CTF, p. 424.
“don’t want to be a permanent Moon satellite” MC, Liftoff, p. 10.
“been in for a long lonely ride” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 33.
“possible to get that attitude wrong?” Ibid.
“tiny Earth growing” MC, Liftoff, p. 11.
“TV broadcasts served a useful purpose” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 34.
“vote of appreciation” Cronkite quoted in CBS, 10:56:20 P.M., pp. 144–45 .
“slightly altered skp maneuver for reentry” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 33.
“orange-and-white blossoms” MC, Liftoff, p. 13. See also MC, CTF, p. 448
“seas weren’t supposed to be too bad” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 34.
“hanging from the straps” Ibid., p. 35.
“in front of television cameras tossing our cookies” BA, RTE, p. 4.
“Don’t take off your BIGs” Carpentier quoted in FOM, p. 362.
“we all felt pretty good” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 35.
“get it behind us so that we could celebrate” Ibid., p. 36.
“tend to be a little exaggerative” Ibid.
“can only say it was out of this world” JSA quoted in “Apollo Crew’s Families Also in World Spotlight,” TB, July 25, 1969.
“Stephen came to my rescue and kissed me” VEAP, “Apollo 11,” p. 13.
“confirmation that all…was okay” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 36.
“taking our leisure until we were totally off schedule” BA, RTE, p. 11.
“And now it begins” Quoted in ibid., p. 12.
“position to see all that stuff” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 36.
“You lucky sons of bitches” Admiral John S. McCain, quoted in BA, RTE, p. 12.
“Somebody somewhere had made that decision” Ibid., p. 13.
“We had cocktail hour” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 36 .
“bumped and swayed down onto the truck bed” BA, RTE, p. 14.
“can’t get men off the airplane” Carpentier quoted in ibid.
“Everyone was assembled to greet us” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 37.
“Had she expected to be contaminated in advance?” BA, RTE, p. 16.
“‘Hello, Mom, this is Neil.’” VEAP, “Apollo 11,” p. 14.
“that time was very valuable to us personally” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 37.
“photos helped them ask their questions” Ibid., p. 38.
“rivalries or arguments” BA, RTE, p. 22.
“most difficult part of your mission” Lovell, 08:01:02:32 mission elapsed time.
“We were not naïve” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 35.
Chapter 31: For All Mankind
“a sort of new enlightenment” NAA quoted in FOM, pp. 337–38.
“never comfortable speaking” JSA to author, Sept. 11, 2004 (morning), p. 50.
“problems of a five-year-old boy in a candy store” NAA, from Aug. 12, 1969, press conference in Houston, quoted in “Problems of a 5-Year-Old Boy in a Candy Store,” The National Observer [Silver Springs, MD], Aug. 18, 1969.
“last thing we’re prepared for” NAA quoted in “Millions See Two Parades,” LN, Aug. 13, 1969.
“advised not to reach out and shake hands” BA, RTE, p. 30.
“never seen so many people” JSA to author, Sept. 11, 2004 (morning), p. 44.
“threw out IBM punch-cards” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 35.
“jaws ached from smiling” BA, RTE, p. 33.
“exciting to be in those cities” JSA to author, Sept. 11, 2004 (morning), p. 44.
“aggregations of people” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 38.
“important adventure” Agnew quoted in John C. Waugh, “A Grateful Nation Acclaims Its Space Heroes,” Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 15, 1969.
“Armstrong choked back tears” “49-Day World Trip Awaits Astronauts,” UPI story in LN, Aug. 14, 1969.
“more eloquent because they were unstudied” “Homage to the Men from the Moon,” Time, Aug. 22, 1969.
“impressive occasion for everyone” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 39.
ultimate “Texas barbecue” Bernard Weinraub, “Houston Parade Honors Apollo 11 Crew in Finale of U.S. Fetes,” NYT, Aug. 17, 1969.
“no idea what the future is going to hold”: NAA, official CBS transcript of Face the Nation, Aug. 17, 1979.
“looking for a place to get away” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 32.
“yesterday’s when I’d like to have him!” HSC to author, Oct. 7, 2003, p. 2.
“sitting in ninety degree heat” NK to author, Aug. 15, 2002, pp. 22–23.
“One of Hope’s jokes” AF: e-mail to author, Aug. 25, 2002.
“spout these great words of wisdom” ALSK to author, Aug. 15, 2002, p. 14.
“a Buckeye on the Moon” NAA quoted in Al Kattman, “Neil Armstrong Returns Home for Hero’s Welcome,” LN, Sept. 7, 1969.
“Mr. Speaker, Mr. President” NAA before joint session of Congress, quoted in “Armstrong Addresses Congress,” LN, Sept. 21, 1969.
“We zipped up, lined up” BA, RTE, p. 49.
“We raised hell” Ibid., p. 51.
“take care of Americans in America” Ibid., p. 55.
tape-record a travelogue: Transcript of Neil’s travelogue in NAA’s personal papers, “Giant Step” file.
“situation in Belgium” JSA to author, Sept. 11, 2004 (morning), p. 46.
“broke my goddamn ankle!” MC quoted in RTE, p. 65.
“irresponsible to ask us to be on television” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 43.
Carpentier “conned into going on television” BA, RTE, p. 70.
“dancers all moved back to watch” Ibid., p. 76.
“right thing to be doing” NAA to au
thor, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 35.
“liquor everywhere” BA, RTE, p. 74.
“some disturbing symptoms in Buzz” MC, CTF, p. 465.
“Had I been more observant” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 44.
“must confess, my feelings were hurt” BA, RTE, p. 47.
“Buzz used notes” JSA to author, Sept. 11, 2004 (morning), p. 50.
“president was quite nice” NAA to author, Sept. 19, 2003, p. 45.
“More can be gained from friendship” NAA, commencement speech, Wittenberg College, Nov. 1969, copy in NAA personal papers. See also “Wittenberg Honors Armstrong,” Akron Beacon Journal, Nov. 24, 1969.
“soldiers rushed the stage to talk with Neil” Bob Hope, The Last Christmas Show
(Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1974), p. 283.
“that’s a great question” NAA quoted in ibid. A four-page typescript copy of the section in Bob Hope’s The Last Christmas Show was found in VEAP.
“anything to cheer them up” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 2.
“fairly close to combat zones” Ibid.
“probably best way to handle the whole situation” JSA: e-mail to author, Oct. 31, 2004.
“Committee on Space Research” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, pp. 6–7.
“tumultuous welcome from a predominantly Russian audience” “Wild Applause Welcomes Armstrong in Leningrad,” CPD, May 26, 1970.
“Kosygin shook his finger” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 2. See also “Kosygin ‘Sees’ Moon with Armstrong’s Aid,” CPD, June 3, 1970.
Part Eight: Dark Side of the Moon
E NAA to author, Cincinnati, OH, June 2, 2004, p. 10.
E NAA to SA&DB, Houston, TX, Sept. 19, 2001, interview transcript, p. 88.
Chapter 32: Standing Ground
“Washington jobs” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 5.
“something I could do” Ibid.
“not a desk job person” JSA to author, Sept. 11, 2004 (afternoon), p. 3.
“Why analog technology?” Gorn, Expanding the Envelope, pp. 322–23.
“didn’t have a choice” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 1.
“meet a lot of Washington people” JSA to author, Sept. 11, 2004 (afternoon), p. 3.
“maintain my flight currency” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 6.
“my answer wasn’t to his liking” Ibid.
“just wanted to be a professor” Ibid., p. 13.
“accept Neil Armstrong’s resignation” James C. Fletcher quoted in “Neil Armstrong to Leave NASA,” NASA Flight Research Center Express 14 (Aug. 28,1971): 2. See also “Armstrong Quitting NASA to Be Cincy U Professor,” Akron Beacon Journal, Aug. 26, 1971.
“Christopher Columbus as a professor of navigation” Editorial, “Professor Armstrong,” CE, Aug. 28, 1971.
“pimp for UC” See “NR Apologizes,” in Cincinnati News Record, Apr. 11, 1975. In an April 8, 1975, story about UC’s lobbying for a $15.5 million state subsidy increase, the newspaper said UC officials “hoped” Armstrong “will pimp for UC.” The paper apologized to Armstrong and assured him that “we did not seek to maliciously malign his reputation as an academician or an historical figure.”
“Returning to Ohio wasn’t a consideration” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 15.
“Cincinnati’s was a pretty good department” Ibid., p. 14.
“been on the Moon” Anonymous University of Cincinnati spokesman quoted in “People” sections of Time and Newsweek, Sept. 6, 1971.
“felt comfortable with all of them” Ibid., p. 14.
“taught three quarters a year” Ibid., p. 16.
“last student out the door” Dave Burrus: e-mail to author, Mar. 15, 2003.
“Give him a break” Burrus quoted in “Armstrong Holds 1st UC Class; Former Astronaut Shuns Press,” Akron Beacon Journal, Jan. 4, 1972.
“journalists aren’t always very thoughtful” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 16.
“disappointed in her not being truthful” Ibid., p. 17.
“courses most important to me personally” Ibid., p. 15.
“make the tests challenging” Ibid., p. 19.
“couldn’t work the system” Ibid., p. 18.
“burdened with lots of new rules” Ibid., p. 21.
“legally circumvent this envelope of instructions” Ibid., p. 22.
“couldn’t remain in that kind of job” Ibid., p. 23.
“just irritating” Ibid., p. 24.
“personal career pursuits lead him into other activities” UC president Henry R. Winkler quoted in UPI story, CE, Jan. 18, 1980.
“why he was leaving” Ron Houston quoted in Kathleen Haddad, “Neil Armstrong Resigns; Plans Unknown,” Cincinnati News Record, Jan. 23, 1980.
“economic status of his family” Winkler quoted in ibid.
“get tired of it after a while” Ken Service quoted in ibid.
“hadn’t done anything like it before” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 30.
“inroads with people we’d like to see” Richard Teichgraber quoted in Dan Bearth, “Moon Walker Joins Oil Rig Firm,” Wichita Eagle and Beacon, Mar. 15, 1980. See also “Armstrongs Launch Own Firm,” Anderson [IN] Herald, Jan. 26, 1980; “Oil Drilling Rig Firm Hires Armstrong to Promote Sales,” CPD, Mar. 16, 1980; and “Armstrong Takes Oil Job,” Virginian-Pilot, Mar. 17, 1980.
“turned down a lot more than I accepted” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 31.
“company wanted more technical competence” Ibid., p. 33.
“one of the seven or eight” Ibid., p. 31.
“wasn’t that way with Neil” CSM to author, June 25, 2003, p. 1.
“Neil fit in perfectly” Ibid., p. 3.
“wonderfully compatible” Ibid., p. 4.
“would you take one small step forward?” Ibid., p. 5.
“‘Is this the man who went to the Moon?’” Ibid., p. 9.
“recovering from the Challenger accident” James R. Wilson to author, June 23, 2003, p. 4.
“gave us instant credibility” Devere Burt to author, June 3, 2003, p. 6.
“bang the big Boilermaker drum” Stephen Beering, May 30, 2003, p. 11.
“not in any way drawn to the political world” NAA to author, June 2, 2004, p. 4.
“Armstrong Possible Chief of Nixon’s Ohio Race” Joe Rice, “Political Parade,” Akron Beacon Journal, Apr. 16, 1972.
“approached to run for various positions” NAA to author, June 2, 2004, p. 4.
“not politic to express those views” Ibid., p. 5.
“for people more thoughtful and experienced in international relations” Ibid., p. 6.
Chapter 33: To Engineer Is Human
“pocket-protector nerdy engineer” NAA address to National Press Club, Feb. 22, 2000, Washington DC, quoted in Paul Hoversten, “Neil Armstrong: Basically a ‘Nerdy Engineer,’” accessed at space.com. See also Reuters story, “One Small Step, One Small Click,” from Wired News, accessed at http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,34491,00.html.
“unusual combination of mistakes” See Conclusions of NASA’s Report ofApollo 13 Review Board, June 15, 1970, copy in Record Group 255, Box 10, NARA Fort Worth.
“stupid and preventable accident” CCK, Flight, p. 339.603 “Cortright wouldn’t budge” Ibid.603 “Apollo 13 investigation” NAA: e-mail to author, Jan. 19, 2005.
“leaves an impression not easily forgotten” NAA quoted in “Armstrong: Don’t Neglect Space Effort,” NYT, June 12, 1971.
“a new world ecology” NAA quoted in “Armstrong Warns of Man’s Extinction,” CPD, June 12, 1971
“purpose of all those Moon walks” NAA quoted in “Armstrong Envisions Great Space Benefits for Earth,” CE, Feb. 9, 1972.
“satellites will provide complete libraries” Ibid.
“future is not something I know” NAA quoted in “Neil Armstrong Proves to Be Very Much an Earthling,” Chicago Daily News, Aug. 11, 1977.
“need to build a new world” NAA quoted in “
Armstrong Says New Settlers Will Live on Moon in Future,” Kentucky Newsclip, June 18, 1974.
“‘preservation of its principles?’” NAA quoted in Arthur J. Snider, “Some Advice to Earthmen from the First Man on the Moon,” Chicago Daily News, n.d. [Aug. 1977].
“Armstrong Has No Comment for Last Shot” Bill Sloat article in Florida Today, Dec. 7, 1972.
“closed-mouth son of a bitch” Anonymous University of Cincinnati professor quoted in ibid.
“not very easy to find” UC press officer Al Kuttner quoted in ibid.
“does not give out interviews” Ruta Bankovikis quoted in Bill Sloat, “Armstrong Has No Comment for Last Shot,” Florida Today, Dec. 7, 1972.
“Invisiblest” “Cincinnati Superlatives: The Invisiblest,” in Cincinnati Enquirer
Sunday Magazine, Dec. 6, 1974.
“Armstrong Out of Seclusion” Nicholas C. Chriss article (L.A. Times News Service), Florida Today, Mar. 8, 1974.
“Armstrong Stays Alone in His Private Orbit” Ira Berkow article [Newspaper Enterprise Association] as printed in Rocky Mount [NC] Telegram, Dec. 1, 1975.
“Neil Armstrong, Where Are You?” Article in Birmingham Magazine, Oct. 1976.
“Cincinnati’s Invisible Hero” Berkow article as printed in CE, n.d. [1976].
“The Hermit of Cincinnati” Berkow article as printed in Vancouver [WA]
Columbian, Feb. 19, 1976.
“In Search of Neil Armstrong” Sandra Earley article in Atlanta Journal and Constitution Magazine, May 20, 1979.
“Will Neil Armstrong ever return to public life?” Robin Adams Sloan, “Gossip Column,” Cincinnati Post, Sept. 6, 1974.
“quit NASA and became a recluse” Gordon Cooper, Leap of Faith, p. 202.
“chastise Neil for being too Lindbergh-like” JEL to author, July 17, 2004, p. 20.
“given a large number of press conferences” NAA to author, Sept. 22, 2003, p. 29.
“First Moon Man Hurt on Barn Door” Sacramento Bee, Nov. 12, 1978.
“Louisville Surgery Team Rejoins Armstrong’s Finger” Cincinnati Post, Nov. 13, 1978.
“From Moon Walk to Microsurgery” Michael Marriott article in Louisville
Courier-Journal, Nov. 17, 1978.
“Armstrong Blasts Off After Touchy Operation” Jon Clemens article in Louisville
Courier-Journal, Nov. 15, 1978.
“One Small Tip: Moon Walker Leaves City with a Restored Finger” Ibid.