50 years ago next month, Where were you?

[Top-Water]

50 years ago next month, Where were you?

With just a little over a month to go till the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing and the first man & men on the moon on July 20th 1969. …. reminiscing out loud here a little.

Not that I have ever thought about it to much over the years but will never forget the camp we stayed at back then. Now with the recent uptick in the news lately about the upcoming anniversary and that it occurred during what is pretty much smack dab in the middle of the peak part of summer vacation.
Just wondering / reminiscing how many of you were maybe also here in the lakes region when it happened.

Myself, not quite a teenager yet and not sure what to think after night after night of seeing scary nightly new news broadcast in 1968 and not fully aware of of how significant an accomplishment it was …. because I already knew everything about space travel from watching “Lost In Space”.

Location July 20th 1969, Black Brook road in Sanborton – Lake Winnisquam, I think we got to see the first video footage come on at night on a old 14 inch 3 channel (on its very best day) black and white tv with rabbit ears.

Who else was up here that day and remembers it?

[Paugus Bay Resident]

Remember it well. We were huddled around our B&W TV at the camp my Dad built on Milton Three Ponds. We had a rotor on our outside TV antenna, but still a crappy picture on the round TV screen. I was 16, so at the age where I was thinking more about boats, girls and cars than landing on the moon

Great memories of that place - and trips to the big lake - Alton and Wolfeboro. Spent most of my summers there.

Milton was quite a spot in the 50s and 60s and became forgotten once the "new" route 16 bypassed it.

Hard to believe it was 50 years ago.

[ApS]

I'd like to say I'd been at the lake...but...

On Navy leave, to visit with my folks, I had just driven non-stop from Rota, Spain—over the Alps—to Zurich, Switzerland. Whew!

All the Swiss were watching that event intensely. The streets were especially notable for the occasional car and motorcycle breaking the silence.

Swiss relatives congratulated me, as though I'd landed there myself.

[LIforrelaxin]

Here is my oppertunity, do I take it..... hummmmmm,
Yep I must.... I was part of the elite group of people that wasn't born 50 years ago....

[CUINS]

Boy Scout camp somewhere in NH. We all went to the mess hall to watch on a something inch B&W TV. I wish I could remember the name of the camp and where it was.

[Pineedles]

TV wasn’t an activity we were interested in, but Dad brought our Emerson up for the occasion. Fuzzy grainy picture but we managed to make out what was going on. Then, after it was over, back into the lake for us kids and Dad packed the TV into the car, and back home to NJ.


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[Merrymeeting]

My first summer at Bald Peak Caddy Camp. Came down with the flu the day before. Had to drag myself to the mess hall, with a temp well above 102, where the only TV in camp was on. A B&W 19". But no way I was going to miss this moment in history.

I was miserable and elated all at the same time.

[garysanfran]

I'm older than I thought!

[jbolty]

For some reason I have no recollection of the landing but I vividly remember my parents getting me out of bed to watch Neil Armstrong take the first steps. Somewhere in my junk is a fuzzy picture of the tv from the moment.

[fatlazyless]

July 18, 1969: Driving a black, 4-door, Oldsmobile Delmont 88 ..... Teddy Kennedy drove off a small wood bridge with no railings that connected Martha's Vineyard island to the much smaller Chappaquiddick Island ..... and the rest is history ..... interesting that it actually bumped the recent Apollo moon landing off the newspaper headlines.

Must have been powered by a Rocket-88 engine!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chappaquiddick_incident

Teddy must have thought he was going to the moon, the way he blasted off that little bridge.
.........

Woodstock music festival; Aug 15-18, 1969 ..... summer of '69!

........

By the summer of 1969, the war in Vietnam was a lost cause according to many in public, politics, and military ... it was time to get out of Vietnam ...

Tricky Dick Nixon was the president from January 20, 1969 to August 4, 1973, when he resigned ...saying "you won't have Richard Nixon to kick

around, any more!" ...... and "I am not a crook!" ..... and the political slogan went "Would you buy a used car from him?" under a photo of

Tricky Dick

[Barney Bear]

We were enjoying our second season at our place on East Bear Island with family and friends on July 20, 1969. Our son was almost five years old.

When we bought our cottage, we decided not to have television here. However, the moon landing was scheduled on a weekend when we would be here, so we bought a new black and white set to watch this very special event.

We all were thrilled to watch Neil Armstrong step onto the moon and into history late at night here on Earth.

Now into our fifty-second season here, we continue to appreciate the special event that we witnessed in July 1969 as well as our special place here on this beautiful lake. Our son is now almost fifty-five years old. 🇺🇸 🐻

[Dad sold the C * C]

I remember it well. I watched the launch from our home in Omaha NE. That night my Dad loaded up the car and we headed East. We arrived at our rental in Sanbornton in time to watch them walk on the Moon on a small BW TV.

My Uncle had come up form Portsmouth to visit and brought the TV with him, I have thanked him many times for that.

[Bernie Girl]

Camping at Hermit Lake close to the base of Tuckerman's Ravine with 20 girls from Camp Bernadette. Several of us hiked down to the Visitors Center @Pinkham Notch to watch it on tv.

[jbolty]

Originally Posted by Top-Water

Sounds like a story that would have came from my family's camp / house.




So you remember it as well being at nighttime. Anyone know what that was on the east coast / our time zone.

landing was about 6am, first walk was about 11pm.

[tis]

If you have ever been to the Kennedy Space Center in Titusville Fl, they have or had an amazing theatre. I don't remember much about it except that you felt like it was YOU that was walking on the moon as you watched. I loved it. Anybody else been there?

[Barney Bear]

We have visited the Kennedy Space Center several times as my brother lives in nearby Cocoa. It has wonderful displays, and a new theater to enhance a visitor's experience. One of the several "used" space shuttles is on display as well. Come on down! 🛩

[ghfromaltonbay]

Back in 1969, we weren't seasonal renters and only vacationed for 2 or 3 weeks in Alton Bay during the month of August. On July 20, 1969 we were still in NJ attending a late afternoon wedding and evening reception of longtime family friends in Union, NJ. The groom's uncle kept heading into the bar area to check the only TV at the venue and come back with updates on the moon landing. Hard to believe it's been 50 years. The happy couple are still together and are planning a delayed celebration in late August for the big Five-O. I remember catching the bouquet at the reception. I was about to enter my senior year of high school and I guess my intramural basketball skills helped out jump the others when the bouquet was tossed.

[Dad207]

10 years old, at Camp Connoy in Southern Maryland. About 100 campers watching it on a 12" B & W. At 60, it remains one solid memory.

[Lake Breeze]

Watched the moonwalk on a tiny TV from 19 Mile Bay, a dozen kids (plus adults) crammed into a small travel trailer at EdgeOLake Village......just slightly larger than the Lunar Module. We were all in awe of the moonwalk and looking back, I am in awe of how many of us actually fit into the small trailer and how many of us still remain friends!

[Hermit Cover]

I was in the Navy....at the Officers Club, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. I was with my Flight Surgeon ..... we were both attached to the Naval Air Facility Medical Department...Half of Andrews is Naval Air Facility and Marine Air....we were watching the developments on TV and I was praying that once they landed they would do their moon walk while it was still July 20th...my 25th birthday. I was sure that this event would become the next National Holiday....OH WELL....once the canisters of film came back from the Haselblad cameras used by Armstrong and Aldrin and were developed by NASA photo lab ( the Navy photographer was working thru the night to process the photos of the moon walk....he was a friend of ours... we both have a set of prints taken from that first generation of developed negatives from the lunar excursion.) Mine were autographed by Buzz Aldrin.

[rozbeezer]

We were vacationing at Herb Oliver's (Oliver Lodge) on Meredith Neck and watched on a BW TV in the main lodge with a few other families who were there. No doubt a memorable occasion.

[rick35]

Originally Posted by CUINS

Boy Scout camp somewhere in NH. We all went to the mess hall to watch on a something inch B&W TV. I wish I could remember the name of the camp and where it was.

I was at Boy Scout Camp Carpenter in Manchester. We all went to the mess hall to watch it on a small b&w tv. Maybe we were there at the same time!

[CUINS]

I don't think it was Manchester. We were from Troop 13 in Needham, MA. Did our 50 miler in four days of rain and sunshine on the fifth and final day.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by rick35

I was at Boy Scout Camp Carpenter in Manchester. We all went to the mess hall to watch it on a small b&w tv. Maybe we were there at the same time!

I remember those days and good old "George Tuttle". Great place!

Dan

[WJT2]

I was 15 years old and spending the month of July on Birch Island with my relatives. TAYLOR CAMP. My nephew was in Vietnam and one of my nieces was bicycling through Europe. Watched on a B&W as well. Best summer ever!

[ushaggerb]

In the kitchen eating cereal.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by jbolty

landing was about 6am, first walk was about 11pm.

All onboard recorder audio—15,000 searchable utterances—Post-mission commentary—Astro-materials—sample data...:

https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/

[panjumbie]

I was in my apartment here on Long Island, NY, watching the events on my 10 inch circa 1948 B&W TV set. I have slides of the first steps on the moon taken off that TV (somewhere...)

I worked for Grumman, which manufactured the LM, on the LM program from 1964 to 1968. Was on a different project in 1969, but obviously very interested in the actual landing.

I also worked for a college radio station which had UPI (teletype) news. UPI was supposed to have shut the service off for the summer (the station didn't broadcast during the summer), but hadn't. So I put a new full box of teletype fanfold paper in the machine, turned it on shortly before the launch and let it run. UPI finally shut off the service shortly before the astronauts got back to earth, but I have the whole printout from the launch through the moon landing and most of the way home. What is most interesting is to read all the other news going on at the same time. (There were a couple of other comments to that effect above.)

[onceMeg]

Sure, I remember it well. I was a counselor at Camp Kehonka (was in Wolfeboro; sadly, no longer exists). They allowed the kids to stay up and watch it, on a small TV set up in the Lodge. Most of the young girls slept thru it, but we counselors were mesmerized by what we were watching that night.

[tummyman]

Just returned from 6 months military service and gazing at the stars with my fiancé, as we were making plans to be married in September, 1970.

[Weekend Pundit]

We were at our family's beach house in Madison, Connecticut. We were supposed to return to our then-home in Pennsylvania on that day, but stayed an extra day to catch the moon landing. We watched the grainy B&W images from the Moon on the 25-inch RCA color console TV. I was just a couple days shy of my 13th birthday.

I was a child of the Space Age, growing up during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. I had the Revell models of the various rockets and spacecraft of the manned space program, including a 5-foot model of the Saturn 5.

It's hard to believe it's been 50 years! Seems like it was only a few days ago...

[-nordic-]

Plus or minus a few weeks, I was at the Boston Tea Party seeing Doctor John, with opening act The Allman Brothers, including Duane, Berry, Gregg, Dicky, Jaimoe and Butch. Honking driving blues, some cool time signatures, Duane closing his eyes an wailing on a solo here and there, hippies enjoying it all. 1969, very nice!

[Kamper]

My parents and two siblings were at Camp Wilmott. I was too young and stayed with my aunt and uncle in Litchfield. My uncle was so excited he set up a flag-pole and ran up the colors at touch-down!

[ApS]

"Our" moon landing was broadcast from Australia.

https://theconversation.com/not-one-...oonwalk-108177

[macbeth]

Was standing in Florida watching the launch with the entire family. My Mother's Sister's Husband worked for NASA. Drove down from NH to watch it.

[bigdog]

I remember the date well, 50 years ago......

I was working at MIT at the time. MIT was a govt. contractor for NASA.
MIT was providing Navigational and Control guidance systems for Apollo mission. . I was given a high-level govt. clearance for my job, but so was anyone connected to the project.

My job was operation of one of the super computers located at MIT in Cambridge. Even though I considered my job minimal, as compared to all the scientists and technicians involved, there was definitely a sense of comradery and American pride by all who participated. I was only one of literally thousands of NASA workers and govt contrators, to make it all happen.

One cool thing I remember, was there was mockup Apollo Simulator capsule in the building, where the technicians could trouble-shoot and diagnose scenarios. What a thrill that was, seeing that capsule up close !

It was an exciting time of my life, which I will never forget. After the mission was completed, all those who participated received Certificates of Commendation hand signed by 'Stark Draper', of 'Draper Laboratories' who partnered with MIT. The Commendation has been framed and hangs in my office to this day.

Memories forever !

[upthesaukee]

I was stationed at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks AK. Normal TV was 3 weeks delayed, but Walter Cronkite was 1 day delayed. Saw it the next day.

Dave

[Chubbs]

I was stationed at Shaw AFB SC.

[TheProfessor]

Some here remember where they were when Lincoln was shot.

[Natt]

I was on an operation with Delta co. 1st Marines in "Dodge City" in I Corps. We got the military rag, Stars and Stripes, a few days later on a resupply chopper. It's significance did not register at the time.

[salty dog]

I was 18. Watched with some friends and my folks all gathered around the TV.

[salty dog]

Originally Posted by TheProfessor

Some here remember where they were when Lincoln was shot.

A little off-topic but your remark reminded me I had watched this youtube not long ago...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6IFEE_CM-I&t=88s

[codeman671]

50 years ago, next month? I was a month old

Just turned 50. Don't remember much back then!

[steve-on-mark]

Originally Posted by codeman671

50 years ago, next month? I was a month old:d

just turned 50. Don't remember much back then!

ahhhh....i remember it like it was only 50 years ago...