Last week, someone sent me one of those forwarded things, but this one was different! It provided interesting information of which I was unaware.
It was the story of Buzz Aldrin partaking of Holy Communion as soon as he set foot on the moon! He had taken a tiny “communion kit” prepared for him by his Presbyterian church in Texas, of which he was an elder.
Now this happened 40 years ago. It was published in Guidposts magazine but I don’t recall the mainstream media covering it. And today, they surely would not! Someone might be offended!
I forwarded this to a couple of friends, one of whom was Gareth Goetsch, a friend of 60 years from Cresco. Gary’s parents were Henry and Pearl. After Henry’s death, Pearl married Frank White. Gary grew up along the blacktop on the way to Cresco, on the farm immediately east of the T. G. Thomas farm.
Gary spent his career as an Air Traffic Controller in the USAF. In 1960-61 we were both stationed at Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, AL. A few times I was the babysitter for little Karen when Gary and Mary needed a night out. After retirement, Gary became “the Dakota County handyman,” working out of his home in Farmington, MN, where they still reside.
Gary responded with a few rememberances of his own, from decades back. I thought they were worthy of sharing.
“No Keith, I never knew this. I am sure there are many moments that have happened during your life that you remember like yesterday. Some of mine are:
1. While stationed in France and listening to Sputnik Beeping as it passed over.
2. I guess one of the memories I will never forget was the day when we were on high alert because of the Cuban Missile deal. We were at Maxwell and the siren got stuck which indicated that we were under attack. By the time it was shut off the base had gone wild! The thing blew for 45 minutes. We had Bird Colonels and Generals running down the street yelling “TAKE COVER, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK”.
3. The chair I was sitting in at the Flight Data position in the Control Tower at Maxwell AFB when Base Ops called and told me JFK had been shot. By the way, Mary & I visited Maxwell a few years ago and I spent several hours in the tower. When I told the kids on duty “I was sitting right here when I found out that JFK had been shot”, they looked at me like I was really old! The crew chief was a S/Sgt (female) who was not born yet in 1963!
4. I was in the Control Tower at Sembach AB Germany when Apollo landed on the Moon. Because we knew it would happen that day I had taken a radio to work. I was the boss so I could get away with that!
5. Of course, my mind is still full of the many things Bud Weatherford taught me!!
Gary”
