Onboard Diary

Disaster Speech

 William Safire has recently passed away at the age of  79. A famous writer and conservative columnist of the New York Times, he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1978.

In 1955, after working as a radio and television producer, he became part of the Republican Party's PR department. After overcoming the victory drought of the early and mid 60s, he became one the speech writers on Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew's service in 1968.

Via Alt1040, we find out about the speech he wrote for Nixon should disaster have occurred during the Apollo 11 mission, during which men stepped on the Moon for the first time in History (July the 21st, 1969). It is priceless...

To H. R. Haldeman, from Bill Safire. July 18, 1969.

IN EVENT OF MOON DISASTER:

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.

These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.

These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding.

They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.

In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.

In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.

Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.

For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.

PRIOR TO THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT:

The president should telephone each of the widows-to-be.

AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT, AT POINT WHEN NASA ENDS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MEN:

A clergyman should adopt the same procedure as a burial at sea, commending their souls to "the deepest of the deep", concluding with the Lord's Prayer.