Guy just shared quite a short reminiscence of his own Apollo 11 memories (great story, Guy), so it seems appropriate to share mine. ...... In those days, I worked and traveled as a musician. It just so happens that in the summer of 1969, I was working in Titusville and Cocoa Beach, Florida. My rented apartment was on U.S. 1(?), a two- lane highway directly across from the Cape. In the days leading up to the launch, I just had to stand in my yard to watch the Saturn rollout from the V.A.B. Even at a distance of 10 miles, that rocket was enormous. The crowds began to pour in about a day before launch time. By nightfall, they were parked 3-deep on each side of the highway for the entire 20 miles between Titusville and Cocoa. The road was closed and became the biggest block party I've ever seen. People set their grills up in the middle of the highway, sharing meals and wandering around meeting other people from around the country. They slept in their cars, in the road and in yards. It was a very different America in those days. Not perfect by any means, but certainly less suspicious of itself. I didn't see anything but happy, excited behavior. Focus was not on the war, not on politics, but on one hell of a ride that three brave men were about to take. On launch day, the largest-ever gathering of lawn chairs in history was facing the Cape. Small televisions popped up and were plugged into drop cords up and down the strip. The launch ritual proceeded and the Saturn V gradually rose into the air--in silence. It took nearly a minute for the sound to reach the highway. When it finally got to us, the ground shook underfoot. The day had a bit of overcast, so the rocket was nearly out of sight by then. The rumble continue for a while, and then the party was over. I sat in my yard over the next several hours and watched the largest traffic jam I've ever seen. Then it was over. The remainder of the mission was played out with scratchy audio and grainy video images. But what a show. What a show. Michael Carnes home.earthlink.net/~MichaelCarnes