On The Fly

Podcast - Freedom 7; 65th Anniversary . "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. May 5, 2026, marks the 65th anniversary of Freedom 7's launch. Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space. A 15-minute sub-orbital flight, a day for the history books; the entire world was watching. NASA and the world had witnessed many trial runs explode violently on the launch pad. The space program was in its infancy. Unlike today, there were far too many unknowns. This prompted me to pull out one of my favorite books from my office library,  Light This Candle , by Neal Thompson, copyright 2004. Light This Candle is a biography of Alan Shepard, Jr., you won't be able to put down. It's - "Story-telling at its best . . . every page is alive," says David Hartman, U.S Naval Institute. In the opening pages, you read endorsements fr...

Podcast - 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. This prompted me to pull a book from my office shelf,  Light This Candle , by Neal Thompson copyright 2004. It's storytelling at its bes...