Moon Landing

Daddy King had two sisters who lived together in Montgomery for half of the 20^th century. I think they both worked at Maxwell Air Force Base. Mama King wrote about them frequently in her diary. She called them “the girls.” Aunt Lillian never married. (She gave Angie some pillowcases from her “hopeless chest”—but she said it with a twinkle in her eyes.) Aunt Eunice’s husband died young. They spent all holidays with my grandparents, so I knew them well. They are buried side by side in the King plot in Pinckard, Alabama. They called me Cissie.

20 July 1969

Dearest Cissie,

To-night Aunt Lillian and I are watching Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Air Force Col. Edwin E. Aldrin walk on the moon.

Commander Armstrong was the first man in history to walk on the moon.

This has been an excited week end. The President of the U.S. has given federal employees Monday off, as at first we thought the walk would be delayed until around two o’clock to-night. The holiday was for all to see the pictures to-morrow, and it was a day given in respect to the brave men.

Some day you will be studying about this in history, but remember, Angie, Starla, Grand Pa and Grand Mother also Aunt Betty and your mother and father saw.

It is 10:30 P.M. Sunday night. Our pastor had an 8:30 service at our church, so every one could go home and watch T.V.

The moon is like powder but firm. The astronauts are collecting moon samples to bring back to earth. They have planted the flag of the U.S. on the moon. They have been on the moon bouncing around like a kangaroo for 1 ½ hours. They have 30 minutes more to go.

We all pray that they can return safely to the space craft manned by Lt. Col. Michael Collins, who is standing by. We won’t go to bed until they are safely back in the space craft and on their flight back to earth.

They should return by next Thursday.

This letter isn’t well written, but I am so excited and nervous over the event until I just can’t relax.

Some day you can read this letter where it will make sense to you, so until then put away to keep.

From your 59 year old great aunt.

I am enclosing a letter where the President of the U.S. gave federal employees the day off.

Love you Cissie—

Aunt Eunice