Apollo 13

Today is the 45th anniversary of the explosion that crippled Apollo 13 on its way to the moon.  The mission began April 11, 1970, annd the first couple of days were smooth until that awful moment.  Days of drama followed.

I was too young to remember the Apollo 1 disaster, so this was my first experience with an accident in the space program.  It was always smooth sailing.  Walter Cronkite never underestimated the danger on the risks, but it all looked so easy to a kid watching on TV, so perfect.

I was a geeky kid (surprised?), so I was glued to the TV as the scenarios played out.  They were all dangerous, and nothing was guaranteed.

I vividly remember my third grade teacher leading us in prayer, and this was a public school.  That behavior would get her suspended or even fired today.

Apollo was called America's most successful failure.  I usually catch some of the movie when it's on.  It remains interesting, even though you know the ending.