LOT #71089 |
Sold on Jul 20, 2024 for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
William Safire Autograph Note Signed to Buzz Aldrin Regarding the "In Event Of Moon Disaster" Speech He Wrote for President Ni... (Total: 3 )
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Sold on Jul 20, 2024 for:
$400.00
Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
Get one of these:
Explore Available Items
Description
"I've never been so glad a speech of mine never had to be used."
William Safire Autograph Note Signed to Buzz Aldrin Regarding
the "In Event Of Moon Disaster" Speech He Wrote for President
Nixon, with Photocopy, Originally from Buzz Aldrin's Personal
Collection, with Certificate of Authenticity. A one page 5.5" x
8.5" note on The New York Times letterhead dated July 29, 1999,
reading: "Dear Buzz Aldrin. Thanks for the nice comment about my
work on Meet the Press last Sunday. I've never been so glad a
speech of mine never had to be used. Best-Bill Safire".On July 18, 1969, William Safire, at the behest of NASA's White House liaison Frank Borman, prepared and sent a speech to H. R. Haldeman for delivery by Richard Nixon in the disastrous event that the Apollo 11 astronauts were stranded on the moon with no hope of rescue. That speech is transcribed below and a printed copy of that memo is included with this lot.
Thirty years later, Safire was reminded of that event when Los Angeles Times reporter Jim Mann found the speech in the National Archives and wrote a piece headed "The Story of a Tragedy That Was Not to Be." At that point, Safire wrote an Op-Ed in The New York Times titled "Disaster Never Came." An official Times reprint is also included in this lot. All items fine or better.
IN EVENT OF MOON DISASTER:
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.
PRIOR TO THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT:
The President should telephone each of the widows-to-be.
AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT, AT THE POINT WHEN NASA ENDS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MEN:
A clergyman should adopt the same procedure as a burial at sea, commending their souls to "the deepest of the deep," concluding with the Lord's Prayer.
Auction Info
2024 July 20 The 55th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moonlanding: Space Exploration Showcase Auction Featuring the Buzz Aldrin Collection #33162 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
July, 2024
20th
Saturday
Internet/Mail Bids: 21
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 209
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $1,000,000 (minimum $29), plus 20% of any amount between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $5,000,000 per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms