Earlier this week, with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, my dad sent my family an email recounting his memory of the night of July 10, 1969. My dad, Dale, grew up on a farm outside of Rochester, MN near what is now 50th Avenue NW and 55th Street NW (close to OMC’s Northwest Clinic). It’s hard to believe, but that used to be very far out in the country and surrounded by corn fields with only dirt roads.
My dad has told us all sorts of stories about growing up on the farm. One of my favorites is that he road his blind pony, Taffy, to his one room school house (located where the Douglas Trail is between 50th Avenue and 55th street) every day!
When this email arrived in my inbox this week, I was moved to tears as I read it again and again. It brings to life an incredible moment in our country’s history in a very vivid way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
“This Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and I remember it well. My brother Lenny had just graduated from John Marshall High School and I was 15. After he and I milked the cows, fed and watered calves, sheep, and horses, we would just drive in to Rochester, “run” Broadway, stop at Benny’s R-Tic Root Beer Stand, or stop at the only and recently opened McDonalds on North Broadway. Lenny had a ‘59 Ford and it was pretty fast and we would race other cars from stop light to stop light and he could squeal (we called it, burn rubber) the tires in all 3 gears and usually win.
We started for home and exited off Highway 52 onto the gravel road (approximately 55th street today). He turned off KWEB the rock station and turned the dial on the radio to KROC to the live broadcast of the moon landing. We turned onto Rural Route 1 (now 50th Ave NW) crossed the railroad tracks, (Douglas Trail) and stopped in the middle of the road and turned the car around and he and I laid on the hood of his car with our backs against the windshield with the windows rolled down listening to the radio and stared at the full moon.
We just absolutely could not believe that while we were looking at the moon Neil Armstrong was coming down the ladder of the Eagle and spoke the iconic and now one of the most famous lines in American history, “that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” That night is etched in my mind and one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Lenny was my hero and to be with him always made me feel good. He would usually let me tag along on his outings. On July 20, 1969, Lenny and I witnessed history laying on the hood of a ‘59 Ford on a gravel road surrounded by corn fields and “watched” a man step onto that beautiful bright full moon. It was truly amazing!
I would have that brother only another 3 plus years, and I’m so grateful to have shared that moment with him. I wanted to share that memory with my family as a now 65-year-old husband, father, and grandfather. In some ways it seems like only a decade ago, and other times a century.”
Thanks for sharing, Dad. I never met my Uncle Lenny, but he sounds like someone I would have loved.
