Touching The Face of God

[rivertempest]

Fare thee well, my fellow Buckeye...

Neil Armstrong

Pilot
Astronaut
Teacher
Visonary

You are now free to fly amongst all the stars.

You were a credit to us all.

"High Flight"

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds, - and done a

Comments

[reg_flint]

A model for scientific folk everywhere, and a name in every home.
Sadly to be missed.

[rivertempest]

Couldn't have said it better.

[teddyradiator]

I am sorry to hear of his passing - but this beautiful, evocative poem is as fitting a tribute as one could hope for.

[rivertempest]

I think (don't quote me on this) that Regan quoted this poem when honoring the Challenger disaster as well. While I wasn't around for the moon-landing, I definitely remember watching the telly and having my kid-sized world rocked to the core.

They will all be missed.

[teddyradiator]

I was a 25-year old second-year teacher in a pissant town in Oklahoma when the Challenger disaster happened, and I remember sitting in the teacher's lounge during Regan's speech, and he did indeed quote from this poem in tribute to the Challenger crew, saying that they had "slipped the surly bonds of earth and touched the face of God."

I was incredibly moved then, and the poem still moves me now.

[sabrebabe]

Fair winds and following seas.

Shipmate... the watch stands relieved
Relieved by those You have trained ,Guided, and Lead
Shipmate you stand relieved.. we have the watch...

RIP Neil Armstrong
from one old sailor to another...

[rivertempest]

I love this! *tears up*

Beautiful!

[lunalovepotter]

A lovely post. Even though the moon landing happened five months before I was born, I've heard my parents talk about that day and feel like I was part of it. Such an extraordinary man, and a true hero.

[rivertempest]

Exactly. Even just watching Walter Cronkite tear up while reporting was awe-inspiring.

[jenidralph]

Hearing about his death made me so sad. Astronauts were my biggest heroes when I was young. I wish I had been around to witness the moon landing. I'm sure simply reading about it and watching footage wasn't quite the same.

This was a very beautiful tribute.

[rivertempest]

I so wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up, and Armstrong was one of those reasons. That he was born, raised and lived a good portion of his life here in Ohio meant a lot to us as well.

Like you, I was born a few years later and hand to make do with old footage. I want to go and watch Space Camp now.

He will be sadly missed.