Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 - August 25, 2012)
In memory and honor to a true American hero, the first men to set foot on the moon, is a memo of a speech drafted by William Safire just days before the landing, to be read by then President Nixon in the event of moon disaster ...
To : H. R. Haldeman
From : Bill Safire July 18, 1969
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IN EVENT OF MOON DISASTER:
Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to
explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.
These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know
that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there
is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.
These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's
most noble goal: the sear for truth and understanding.
They will be mourned by their families and friends; they
will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of
the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two
of her sons into the unknown.
In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to
feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood
of man.
In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in
the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes
are epic men of flesh and blood.
Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's
search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they
will remain the foremost in our hearts.
For every human being who looks up at the moon in the
nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world
that is forever mankind.
PRIOR TO THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT:
The President should telephone each of the widows-to-be.
AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT, AT THE POINT WHEN NASA
ENDS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MEN:
A clergyman should adopt the same procedure as a burial at
sea, commending their souls to "the deepest of the deep," concluding
with the Lord's Prayer.
To : H. R. Haldeman
From : Bill Safire July 18, 1969
------------------------------------------------------------------
IN EVENT OF MOON DISASTER:
Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to
explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.
These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know
that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there
is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.
These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's
most noble goal: the sear for truth and understanding.
They will be mourned by their families and friends; they
will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of
the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two
of her sons into the unknown.
In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to
feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood
of man.
In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in
the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes
are epic men of flesh and blood.
Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's
search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they
will remain the foremost in our hearts.
For every human being who looks up at the moon in the
nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world
that is forever mankind.
PRIOR TO THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT:
The President should telephone each of the widows-to-be.
AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT, AT THE POINT WHEN NASA
ENDS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MEN:
A clergyman should adopt the same procedure as a burial at
sea, commending their souls to "the deepest of the deep," concluding
with the Lord's Prayer.