FLORIDA APOLLO MEMORIAL COMMISSION

.... in tribute to America's Giant Step For Mankind .... man on the Moon .... and Florida's role as the launch pad to the universe.

The Florida Apollo Memorial Commission was established by executive order fo the Florida Cabinet on July 29, 1969 to assist the citizens of Florida in preserving for posterity the significant roll of our state in this historical event.

LAUNCH PAD TO ADVENTURE

July 16, 1969, 9:32 A.M., EDT, the sandy shores in Florida at Cape Kennedy were suddenly buffeted and shaken by the tremendous blast of the Saturn V rocket as the huge ship struggled to break away from the Earth and begin a long journey to the Moon.

The five great engines ignited precisely on time, flaring a hugh skirt of flame around the base of the rocket. After several static seconds for the thrust of giant engines to build up, the six million pound Saturn/Apollo lifted from the concrete pad and moved slowly up past the retracted gantry.

Quickly gaining speed, it marked the perfect beginning for a nearly flawless flight. The Saturn rocket with its previous cargo was soon well on the way to a pre-determined Earth orbit from which it would speed on the way to the moon.

AND ON TO THE MOON .....

With an entire world anxiously watching and waiting, most via televeision programs, three astronauts occupied a small ship that was soon to be a household world throughout the world for centuries to come.... The Eagle.

Nearly 500 years before, a courageous man and his crew set out in three small sailing ships and discovered America. Now, the same America and sending three astronauts in a small ship to another new world.... the moon. Their fears, anxieties, and hopes were not altogether different.

Shortly after settling into the moon's gravitational orbit, the Eagle, carrying Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, separated from the command ship. The tiny ship descended the approximately 60 nautical miles to the moon surface.

The astronauts kept the mission control staff constantly informed on the descent, rattling off numerical reports in staccato fashion. With 30 seconds of fuel remaining, all was sielnce as Armstrong selected the exact landing point for the Lunar Module.

The dead silence throughout the world was shortly broken with the transmission from the moon, "Houston. Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." A tremendous cheer went up from all points of the world. Americans felt the greatest sense of pride and achivement ever, and nearly the entire world showered them with adulation and congratulations.

THE FIRST MAN ON THE MOONAt 10:56 P.M. EDT, Sunday, July 20, Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11, became the first man to ever set foot on the surface of the moon.

His step from the lowest rung of the ladder to the moon's surgace, constituted the climax a national effort that began in 1961. It was an effort that involved, at its peak, more than 300,000 people in industry, the universities and in government.

As he took the epochal step, Armstrong commented, "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR A MAN, ONE GIANT STEP FOR MANKIND."

A TRIBUTE FOR POSTERITY

Even though the pride of accomplishment was felt throughout the world, Floridians shared an even greater sense of pride in the historical achievement. It was Florida that served as the foundation and launch pad for the adventure. Thousands of her citizens directly participated in the journey. Her shores harbored the fantastic complex that made it all possible.

Following the moon landing, the Florida Cabinet unanimously adopted resolutions proposed by Comptroller Fred O. Dickinson commending the crew of the Apollo flight and establishing a state Commission to creat lasting memorials to the epic program and its courageous participants.

The Florida Apollo Memorial Commission made up of the Cabinet, immediately set about providing the citizens of Florida with means to pay tribute to the Apollo program and to record for posterity Florida's significant role in man's first step on the moon.

Those plans and objectives are still in progress. Included in the program to date are plans for the development of the Apollo Memorial Park adjoining the Cape, a statewide scholarship program, a museum for housing artifiacts of the mission for posterity, as well as various monuments to the astronaugts. All of the tributes evolved from suggestions submitted by Floridians and more arrive daily.

The Commission invites you to share in the pgoram and be among those recorded in the annals of history as participants by contributing your ideas and suggestions.

"SHARE"

in a tribute to man's first step on the moon.

The Florida Apollo Memorial Commision, established by the Florida cabinet, needs your ideas and suggestions for the creation of a suitable memorial to the Apollo Moon project.

To make this memorial a reality to be viewed and honored for generations to come, the Commission also needs your genrous contributions of $1.00 or more.

To be a shareholder in this program and have your name recorded for posterity in honor of The Apollo Program and it's astronauts, just complete the coupon below and mail it today with your suggestion.

Enclosed is my contribution in the amount of $______ to be used int he building the memorial for the Apollo walk on the moon.

Also, on the reverse side, I offer my suggestion as to what the memorial should be. Please record my name in tribute as follows:

Name: ________

Street: _______

City: _____

Zip: _____

MAIL THIS COUPON TO

Florida Apollo Memorial Commission

Fred O. (Bud) Dickinson, Jr., President

The Capitol

Tallahassee, Florida 32304

FLORIDA APOLLO MEMORIAL COMMISSION

OFFICERS

Chairman of the Board

Governor Reubin O'D. Askew

Preisdent

Comptroller Fred O. (Bud) Dickinson, Jr.

Vice President and Legal Counsel

Attorney General Robert Shevin

Vice President

Agriculture Commissioner Doyle Conner

Vice President

Education Commisioner Floyd Christian

Secretary

State Secretary Richard Stone

Treasurer

State Treasurer Thomas O' Malley

Executive Secretary

Bruce Culpepper