American history is filled with awe-inspiring speeches. They include Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, MLK’s “I Have a Dream,” Patrick Henry’s “Give me Liberty or give me Death,’ and countless others. But my personal favorite is a speech that was never delivered, and would have been spoken by one of America’s most notorious leaders: Richard Nixon.
The Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969 has been immortalized as one of the defining moments of the 20th century, and indeed the history of mankind as a whole. But at the time of the ambitious mission, success was anything but guaranteed. A month before takeoff, NASA astronaut Frank Borman suggested to Nixon’s speechwriter William Safire that he prepare a speech in the event of a disaster.
According to Professor John Logsdon of George Washington University, everyone involved in the Apollo 11 program “knew that the risks of an accident…especially on the first attempt, were high. Once Armstrong and Aldrin landed, there was particular attention [paid] to the possibility that they might not be able to launch from the moon’s surface.”
In the event that the lunar module “Eagle” was unable to launch from the moon’s surface, Armstrong and Aldrin would die from either starvation or “deliberately closed communications” – meaning suicide. If this happened, President Nixon would first contact Armstrong and Aldrin’s widows before addressing the nation as a whole.
The speech mourned the loss of the brave astronauts, but also made it clear that many others would follow and return safely to Earth. After the conclusion of the speech, a clergyman would privately send the astronauts’ souls to the deep, in the spirit of a naval burial at sea.
Here is the transcript of the speech never given:
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.
Sources: http://www.space.com/26604-apollo-11-failure-nixon-speech.html