"Before This Decade is Out...." Personal Reflections on the Apollo Program (Annotated and Illustrated)

With the 20th century past and the beginning of a new millennium, future generations will look back and recall the leaving of our home planet as a defining moment in the history of humankind.
The story of Apollo has been told and retold many times by those fortunate enough to have experienced space travel first hand-the astronauts themselves. Those who managed to leave the cradle of the Earth and walk upon the surface of the Moon offer a unique perspective shared firsthand by only a handful o…