With the death of Gene Cernan last week, there are only
six people alive that walked on the Moon—half are gone. Granted, we all know
these heroes are not immortal, but each death from this exclusive group brings
us closer to a day without any of them. The heroes of the Apollo era are slipping
away from us, and it is our responsibility to soak up every drop of wisdom the
remaining moonwalkers (they made it famous long before Michael Jackson) can
share with humanity.
NASA’s Apollo Program made seven trips to the Moon
intended for a landing, and six of them were successful. Apollo 13 standing as
the now infamous successful failure. There
were more missions planned, but budget cuts forced NASA to cancel some flights.
Twelve men had the distinct honor of kicking up lunar dust and spending time on
another world. These men are symbols of a project that challenged an entire
nation to accomplish something that was once considered science fiction. Astronauts
in general, and the moonwalkers in particular, were considered the heroes of
their day. Many Apollo astronauts never walked on the Moon because they were in
lunar orbit or on Earth, but their work should be celebrated as well. As the
world searches for the wisdom of true visionaries, the remaining Apollo
astronauts—especially the moonwalkers—stand as an ultimate reminder of
humanity’s best qualities.
I do not know when humanity will travel back to the
Moon, or push the boundaries of knowledge to explore another world. Yet, I am
confident that we will. Until then, we must learn everything we can from the
brave adventurers that became our first ambassadors to another heavenly body.
Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Dave Scott, John Young, Charles Duke, and Harrison
Schmitt can continue to share the vision of Apollo—and we should listen.
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