Forty years ago today, I was sleeping in the Outback of Australia, in a little town called Alice Springs. That same day, Apollo 11 was scheduled to land on the Moon. I was an American child living in the Australian Outback because my Dad was working at a top secret 'space base' called Pine Gap, near Alice Springs, isolated one thousand miles from any major city, a perfect location for something that needs to be kept a secret. According to something I just read on the internet regarding Pine Gap, "It is said that to be selected for a tour of duty there is like being elevated to the priesthood, a comment which may not be as silly as it sounds." Wow... I knew we were lucky to get to move to Australia, but I never knew the great honor it was for my Dad to be chosen to go there! I still have his bronze award from NASA, acknowledging his participation in putting Apollo 11 on the Moon.
My Dad drove us close to what he called "The Space Base" just once. I remember seeing all these giant spot lights at night, feeling like I was going to be arrested, we had to stay out in the car while he delivered something to the gate. It was located 14 miles outside of town, a real hazardous drive at night, as one needs to dodge the kangaroos, you know. That is my only memory of what is now called Pine Gap. I do remember all the men who worked there, my father's comrades. There was Jake Rose and Wally Cohen, Mr. McPheeters, Mr. Hendrickson and Sandra Box's Dad and of course, that one of a kind Aussie, Drury Pyper, and many more names escape me. I knew them all in their 'party mode'. I never saw them in the serious work situation that helped lead to that special day, 40 years ago. I witnessed what I considered to be WILD parties during the entire year of 1969, the Victoria Bitter Beer, the laughter, picnics in the Outback at scenic locations... while I shared good times with all of their children. All I was told about my Dad's job is that he traveled around the world setting up 'space tracking stations' and I knew he worked for Collins Radio.
I'll never forget Daddy waking us up to hear "man land on the Moon" for the first time! I was so groggy, he had to force me out of bed, I didn't want to get up, but he made me. Now, 40 years later, I am so glad he made me get out of bed. I didn't see the Moon walk, but I heard all the details and hearing is believing. There was no television in the Outback, only radio, and my father recorded the entire episode on reel to reel tape, his specialty and joy! Daddy recorded all of our reactions like some news reporter, he was a great comedian. He interviewed each of us; my own reaction, my sister's and my Mother's and we still have that infamous tape from July 20, 1969, somewhere!
So, in just 15 minutes from now, I'm going to watch the historical footage of the Moon landing with Neil Armstrong as the star of the show. While I'm watching this for what may be my first time in its entirety, forty years later, I'll be thinking of another 'star', my own father, Ross Nagel, and all the wonderful memories he helped give to me while I was growing up. Thank you, Daddy...
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