The Eagle Has Landed

 

Everyone has a memory of where they were for historic events.

I was in second grade when JFK was shot, in a board meeting for 9/11…

… and in the home of Ed and Kat King for the first landing on the moon.

It was Sunday night, July 20, 1969. After the Sunday evening service at church, the Kings invited us to their home.

Fifty years ago tomorrow. I was thirteen years old.

The live video was “ghostly black and white.”

The audio was scratchy. People are still arguing over whether Neil Armstrong said, “One small step for man” or “One small step for a man.”

But it was a special moment in American history. The apex of the Space Age that defined my first decade of life.

I was in the company of my parents, sisters, and Ed and Kat King, who were like parents to me.

The hard-working Kings ran a dairy in Dry Creek. Mr. Ed was a deacon and song leader at our church. Mrs. Kat (affectionately called “Kitten” by her husband) was the postmistress for Dry Creek Community, zip 70637.

And fifty years ago, I sat on their couch for a memorable event.

One small step for man, a giant leap for mankind.