Just about the only thing harder to believe than the fact that Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon 37 years ago this Friday is that no other country has managed to get there since then. Even the Soviets, with whom we were in such a race in the early years of space exploration, haven't put a cosmonaut on the lunar surface. China and Japan are planning to do it in the next decade, missions which may yet spawn an American return to the moon. But for now, the only flag planted in the soil up there is the Stars and Stripes.
I think later generations, and even generations who were part of the magical missions, take the accomplishment for granted. We sent a dozen men on six successful missions to the surface of the moon and brought them back safely - with 1960s technology. We explored the Ocean of Storms and Hadley rille with only primitive computers and few of the advancements we take for granted today. Yet what should be recognized as one of America's finest hours has almost become a footnote in the history books. You google "moon landing" and you get more web sites claiming it to be a hoax than those celebrating the real thing.
A documentary is set to come out this fall that should hopefully expose this dramatic accomplishment to a new generation. In the Shadow of the Moon tells the story of the Apollo program, in the words of the remarkable Americans who made it possible. (View the trailer here). The movie features some never-before-seen lunar footage and has won awards and audience acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. Al Reinert's similar film from 1989, For All Mankind is out on DVD and should look amazing on today's flat panel TV sets. HBO's mini-series From The Earth to the Moon and the book on which it is based, A Man on the Moon, are also well worth your time.
Americans should always remember the moon missions as a reminder that no problem is insurmountable with commitment. Yes, it was a costly endeavor to fulfill President Kennedy's vision of going to the moon before the end of the decade, but look what we were able to do. Wouldn't it be great if we made a similar national commitment to another spectacular accomplishment? Find a cure for cancer by 2030. Find a clean, renewable energy source by 2020. Develop a zero calorie cheeseburger by 2010? Could this nation, as divided as it's been for the past generation on nearly every single political issue, still band together to achieve the impossible? I'd like to believe we can.
Keep that in mind as we celebrate the 37th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing. We, the United States helped plant that flag on July 20, 1969. And, to paraphrase Francis Scott Key, that flag is still there.
Let's rally around it.
Jeff Field
NBC Action News Executive Producer
The folks at Google created a map a few years ago to show the moon landings. They couldn't resist throwing a joke in, so make sure you zoom in all the way.
Give us your "dream project" for America in the comments section.