What Have We Become?

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dibbons said:
A perfect example of how "modern" minds and "modern" media have gone to ****.
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I worked in academia for 20 years. I'm hardened to that way of thinking. Recently, a young student tried to explain the gender categories to me. We both gave up in frustration.
 
I was playing with my Hot Wheels on the living room floor and my father said, "Son, they will never make it past the van allen belts, the moon is 238,000 miles away and those pictures and radio transmissions could not be that clear. It looks like something from Kubrik's Hollywood studio. They will orbit the earth at around 600 miles up in space and it will be a half truth. Yes they were in space, on the moon not so much!"..I then had a pop tart and went to bed.
 
I was in Lai Kai, Viet Nam 1st Infantry "Big Red One" and didn't see it
 
harrisonm said:
And all this time I thought the greatest event was when Chrysler put dual 4s on a cross ram manifold on a 413 in 62. Now that's history. I know you are kidding about being surprised that the media would bury a historic event. They have been trying to rewrite history for years.
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And I thought it was December 22, 1963 when the first 426 Hemi was started.
 
RustyRatRod said:
What have we become that perhaps the greatest event in the history of mankind is buried by the media? Although I was only four, I remember this like it was yesterday.

Apollo 11 - Wikipedia
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I remembered Rob.
1. Because July 20th is my birthday.
2. Because it was on my 6th birthday and my mom and I sat and watched. Dad was at work. Don't recall where my brother and sisters were. They were probably there, I was just enamored.
3. Because I've worked in the space program for 34 years and we always remember. And I have the pleasure of walking the same halls and working in the shadow of those giant men and giant machines everyday.

Damn right I remembered.
 
moparmandan said:
I remembered Rob.
1. Because July 20th is my birthday.
2. Because it was on my 6th birthday and my mom and I sat and watched. Dad was at work. Don't recall where my brother and sisters were. They were probably there, I was just enamored.
3. Because I've worked in the space program for 34 years and we always remember. And I have the pleasure of walking the same halls and working in the shadow of those giant men and giant machines everyday.

Damn right I remembered.
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Heck yeah man. That's awesome. Happy belated birthday!
 
Summer of 1969 I was 9. My brother and I watched the whole thing on the old B&W TV (parents didn't get a color set until I was in college or possibly after I got married). Still have the newspapers from those days.
 
I was 13 in the summer of 69 and our family watched it all together and it has been something that has stuck with me every since.
 
The last Saturn V was stacked in that building and the space race was over before my car was built in 1974.
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I was 11 and watching the prelims, you know, mission control and all the smart people. Getting bored and the neighborhood kids called me out for some touch football. I jumped up immediately. During my game, I heard my mom call me home. I ignored her, football was more important. Then I heard the old man's whistle. No ignoring that one. I ran home and got to see the first step on the moon.
 
I was not quite 3 years old, but I remember my parents sitting us kids down and telling us "watch this....its very important..."

40 years later, to the day, my dad sent me this email. ...


July 20, 2009


Jeff-
This 40th anniversary of the first moon landing brings back to me a few memories. I had been working down in El Segundo at Hughes Aircraft Co. for several years. That big 12-story building on Imperial Highway was completely devoted to that shot to the moon and they had the primary contract from JPL. Several batteries were under consideration for use in the cabin that was going to the moon. The worry was what would happen to the heat generation in an environment with no air. The batteries were not in with the people. I invented the isothermal calorimeter to measure exactly how much heat would be given off on both charge and discharge. The work that I did with that calorimeter determined which battery was going to the moon. The battery under investigation was put in a big container of Freon 11 which boils at about 75 degrees F and it keeps the battery at that temperature no matter what it is doing. I have a bunch of good pictures of that big device which I can show you. I later got a patent on it and built another one at JPL.
When Spring came in 1969 we were getting nervous about when that space craft was going to take off. We came up with the saying "We may in May". We didn't make it so we came up with "The moon in June". Again we didn't make it so we came up with "We fly in July". And we did!!
Dad


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I am so proud to be my father's son.

My dad passed away a few years ago at age 88.....
He was brilliant and I miss him dearly. ....

Jeff
 
MrJLR said:
I was not quite 3 years old, but I remember my parents sitting us kids down and telling us "watch this....its very important..."

40 years later, to the day, my dad sent me this email. ...


July 20, 2009


Jeff-
This 40th anniversary of the first moon landing brings back to me a few memories. I had been working down in El Segundo at Hughes Aircraft Co. for several years. That big 12-story building on Imperial Highway was completely devoted to that shot to the moon and they had the primary contract from JPL. Several batteries were under consideration for use in the cabin that was going to the moon. The worry was what would happen to the heat generation in an environment with no air. The batteries were not in with the people. I invented the isothermal calorimeter to measure exactly how much heat would be given off on both charge and discharge. The work that I did with that calorimeter determined which battery was going to the moon. The battery under investigation was put in a big container of Freon 11 which boils at about 75 degrees F and it keeps the battery at that temperature no matter what it is doing. I have a bunch of good pictures of that big device which I can show you. I later got a patent on it and built another one at JPL.
When Spring came in 1969 we were getting nervous about when that space craft was going to take off. We came up with the saying "We may in May". We didn't make it so we came up with "The moon in June". Again we didn't make it so we came up with "We fly in July". And we did!!
Dad


View attachment 1715769752

I am so proud to be my father's son.

My dad passed away a few years ago at age 88.....
He was brilliant and I miss him dearly. ....

Jeff
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Very cool story, Jeff. Thanks for sharing.
 
Jeff my highest praise for your Dad and everyone that had a hand in making This United States of America the greatest country on Earth.
As a 13 year old it was inspiring and something I've never forgotten. We are blessed for having your father have such a roll in, my opinion, the best accomplishment of a nation working for a common goal. Thank you for a wonderful story.
Steve
 
LO23M8B said:
And I thought it was December 22, 1963 when the first 426 Hemi was started.
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Off-topic, History Channel head of American Automobile history run of several hour-long episodes when it got to the sixties I hopped on over there to check out the Mopar stuff, as we had many Innovations, and The Baddest cars out there! Anyway they started out the muscle car stuff with the Pontiac jump to the Ford and didn't say a damn thing about Chrysler until they mentioned the three worst cars ever in the late seventies or early eighties one of them was the Plymouth cricket! I mean, what the hell man? Come on, they just completely cut Chrysler out of that! Not one mention of one car or engine! I used to like the History Channel they can kiss my *** now
 
Ironracer said:
Off-topic, History Channel head of American Automobile history run of several hour-long episodes when it got to the sixties I hopped on over there to check out the Mopar stuff, as we had many Innovations, and The Baddest cars out there! Anyway they started out the muscle car stuff with the Pontiac jump to the Ford and didn't say a damn thing about Chrysler until they mentioned the three worst cars ever in the late seventies or early eighties one of them was the Plymouth cricket! I mean, what the hell man? Come on, they just completely cut Chrysler out of that! Not one mention of one car or engine! I used to like the History Channel they can kiss my *** now
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And so continues the Hate! Sad but true.
 
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