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Today, as most Americans already know, is the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. Some have called it the most magnificent achievement in the history of mankind, and until there comes a day when we become a planet completely free of war and are at total peace, I would tend to agree.

Putting men on the moon 40 years ago was not easy, and when President Kennedy issued his famous challenge nine years earlier, he knew it would not be easy.

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth, " said the president on May 21, 1961. "No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space. And none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."

Speaking on another occasion, on Sept. 12, 1962, he added that "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

It was hard. Very hard. And though Kennedy did not live to see it, his challenge was answered. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong took "One small step for man, one giant leap mankind" on the surface of the moon. He became the first man to set foot there, and was soon followed by fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

All of these years later, that word -- "astronaut" -- is still quite magical to me. It conjures up some of my earliest memories of life, when it seemed every young boy in America wanted to be an astronaut. Though I was only 22 months old when man first set foot on the moon and I obviously don't remember that incredible day, I do recall some of the subsequent Apollo missions and how exciting it was to see the "blastoffs" on television and the capsule "splashdowns" when the men returned. I recall how the TV cameras would follow the ships for as long as they could, after they had launched, until they'd become just a small white dot on your TV screen. Still, you could hear the transmissions from the courageous men in the spaceships to those at NASA, and as child, you would just watch in wonder at that little white dot, thinking, "Wow. Guys are in actually there."  The recent passing of Walter Cronkite reminded me that such astonishment was not limited to only children. Cronkite's reaction to the moon landing 40 years ago today was also one of wonder and wasn't much different than that of a young boy.

For kids in the '70s, astronauts were larger-than-life. Everybody wanted to be one. They were cast as heroes on popular TV shows such as "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "Planet of The Apes," and rocket ships were one of the most popular toys in any store. Pretending that you were an astronaut about to blast off, or hopping about in slow motion, as if you were walking on the moon, was fun, and as I think back on it now, that's how it should have been. Astronauts should have been looked up to and admired. They were smart and brave people. They were brilliant scientists and fabulous pilots and men of great adventure all rolled into one.

They were heroes.

And they still are. Kennedy said it was going to be difficult to put people in space and return them safely, and it still is. Blasting people above the stratosphere, 40 years later, is still not an easy day at the office. The proof is in the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle missions.The proof is in the people that we've lost and the heroes that we've lost. Perhaps it tells you something about our society that most of us, myself included, have forgotten most of their names. We should be better than that.

As I got older, I did what I think a lot of kids do, and I somehow got away from my fascination with astronauts. My heroes became athletes, and later, in my teen years, mostly rock stars. Even today, in my home, I have a room in the basement dedicated to my favorite sports teams, as well as a home office with framed posters of my favorite bands. Thankfully, however, some of the recent media coverage of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, which is so richly deserved, has reminded me of who my first heroes were, and really, who they should still be. I am reminded that, when I was a kid, among the many posters of athletes and musicians that graced my bedroom walls was also a poster of Neil Armstrong standing on the moon.

Armstrong and other astronauts -- far more than any guy that can hit a baseball or play a guitar -- are truly people to admire. Somehow, I knew that when I was only seven years old, and though I may have forgotten it, I'm glad that I am remembering it today on this wonderful anniversary. John F. Kennedy, with his challenge, and those at NASA that responded to it and continue to respond to it, have clearly given us all a great gift. Through our astronauts, both past and present, they have given us knowledge, adventure and a sense of wonder.

And -- just as important -- they have given us real America heroes.
 

About the Author

Alan K. Stout is the music columnist at The Weekender and has been covering rock and pop music in NEPA for more than 15 years. His column, "Music on The Menu" appears every week in The Weekender.

Alan has won a Keystone Press Award for Excellence in Journalism for his music coverage and has been voted Northeast Pennsylvania's "Favorite Newspaper Columnist" six times.

Alan's interviews include conversations with Billy Joel, Steven Tyler, Eddie Van Halen, David Bowie and Ray Charles. He also wrote the liner-notes to the entire Motley Crue catalog, he is the host of the monthly "Weekender/Mountaingrown Original Music Series" and is the founder of NEPA's annual "Concert For A Cause." He also hosts a weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu Live," which can be heard every Sunday night at 8 p.m. on 102.3-FM, The Mountain.

In addition to his work with The Weekender, Alan also serves as the Newspapers In Education Manager at The Times Leader.

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