Light This Candle

“Man must rise above the Earth - to the top of the atmosphere and beyond - for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives.” - Socrates 500 B.C.

Have you ever caught yourself pondering, “I wonder what historical event happened on this day?”

Well, just last week, I noticed my brother's birthday was approaching, he was born May 5, 1962. This got me thinking. With Google at my beck and call, I’m curious, what other events, on May 5th, in my lifetime, have shaped our future?

It was a day for the history books, May 5, 1961. The entire world was watching. A moment in time that shaped the future of NASA, the Apollo program, advances in science, and the direction of America.

Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space aboard Freedom 7.

It's storytelling at its best . . .

In the opening pages, you read endorsements from numerous publications and familiar people. But my favorite is this:

“Tough to say what’s cooler: that Alan Shepard was the first American in space, or that he hit a golf ball on the moon. Light This Candle chronicles the amazing life of the brashest, funniest astronaut ever.” - Men’s Health

Listen to this paraphrased excerpt from the book.

“John Glenn was furious. He thought he’d played it just right, made all the right moves, and that he would become the first American in space.”

“You don’t want Alan Shepard,” he said.” The one they call the Icy Commander, with his egotistical indifference, his questionable morals, his disregard for authority, and disdain for the press.

When asked, Why Shepard?

NASA’s gruff spokesman, Shorty Powers tried to explain to the press how “the Mercury Seven astronauts were all exceptional men and among the nation’s most dauntless test pilots.” But one had to go first, and Shepard had what all the others had, with just enough to spare to make him the logical first choice. Whatever that meant.

According to Thompson, the truth which NASA chose not to acknowledge at the time was, Alan Shepard was the most capable of the bunch. As one NASA official put it in the Glenn vs Shepard decision, “We wanted to put our best foot forward.”

So, they picked the best of the best.

Today, May 5th, 2020 I’m calling my brother to wish him a happy birthday and sending out this tribute to an American hero, Rear Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr.

This is Patrick Ball, thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

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