Editorial

Where were you on July 20, 1969

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Gazette Editor Bruce Crosby posed the question on Facebook: “Where were you when you saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon?”

We’ll share some of the responses here:

Bruce Hoffman -- Watching in a hospital room, while working as a janitor at Lincoln General Hospital.

Mike O'Dell -- In front of an 18", Black and White TV in our home on Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. I was allowed to stay up past my usual bed time for the event...

Jimmy Rowe -- I was 5 yrs old, fascinated by all things "space"! My parents let me stay up to watch it on our B&W Zenith console television. I still remember lying on my belly on the floor, just a few feet from the screen, not even wanting to blink!

Michael Gilbert -- I was 22 my soon-to-be wife and I watched it at my parents house on Westridge.

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Marcia Crosby Mittwede -- At one of the lodges at the YMCA of the Rockies where I was working that summer!

Greg Crocker -- At home in Mason City Iowa. I was 7 and into space things.

Lorri Schaaf Sughroue -- My mom woke me up, saying this was really important. I blearily watched the tv, then went back to bed. Sadly, I think I was more impressed with Tang and chocolate space food sticks.

Harold Campbell -- Watching TV at home with my parents, brother and sister, and cousin.

Marty Merrill -- Watching at my Grandparents mountain place above Bailey, Colo. Like it was yesterday.

Robin M Mittwede -- I don't remember it at all I guess as an 8 year old I wasn't interested.

Carolyn Crosby Shimmin -- Day off from college classes to watch the adventure on TV.

Don Schaaf -- I was in Los Angeles shooting a TV commercial for Standard Oil. Someone pulled a B/W TV out by the pool, and about ten of us sat around and watched. I was very impressed, because in my Sophomore year at MHS (1953), I predicted that we would be on the moon in my lifetime. The teacher told me to sit down.

Dawn Carlson Cribbs -- The folks woke us up, we were a little bleary-eyed tribe, but impressed as all get out! Mom and Dad were, pardon the pun "over the moon" with the whole thing.

Sue Myers Wells -- I was 22 years old and couldn't imagine landing on the moon....it was a WOW moment for sure...

Janice McAllister Ganje -- I was in a park in Denver listening to a concert with my boyfriend. There was a girl nearby who annoyingly gave updates on the landing after listening to her transistor radio.

Tim Monzon -- I was in L.A. on the movie set where they filmed it.

Bill Donze -- Hamlet grade school. Mr. Cox brought in his own TV. 15 inch black and white-- we watch some of it but if I remember it was rerun of it-- as It had happened at midnight?? 40 KIDS IN OUR SCHOOL AT THE TIME

Byron Daniels -- I was 11 years old watching it on black and white tv Zeneth at my folks home Stratton, Neb.

Candy Hepperly Crosby -- Lake McConaughy with a friend and her mother at their relative’s cabin. Bad rain storm. Watching on a fuzzy b/w TV.

Barb Ostrum Otter --Tail lake Minnesota with 20+ vacationing friends on a small black & white TV!!

Colleen Moylan Lentz -- I was supposed to be taking a nap with my 4 younger siblings but snuck out of my room to watch tv (black & white)with my Mom (in Omaha).

Bill Longnecker -- On the ranch in Maywood, watching on one of the two snowy channels we had. I was 5 years old, although I remember it, It didn’t make me want to go to space because I understood just how far it was from Earth. If something went wrong... their mothers weren’t there to help them.

Adam Powers -- Lying in bed watching it on YouTube.

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