From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
June 23, 2019
On June 6th, five Apollo Astronauts and two Apollo Flight Directors helped the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NASA’s 1969 Apollo 11 mission, the first time humans walked on the moon.
- Click each photo below to see related image
Garden City, New York, U.S. June 6, 2019. After speaking at lectern on stage, at extreme right, ANDY PARTON, President of Cradle of Aviation Museum, turns to guests sitting behind him, L-R, Apollo 16 Lunar Pilot CHARLIE DUKE, Apollo Flight Director MILT WINDLER, Apollo 9 Lunar Pilot RUSTY SCHWEICKART, Apollo 13 Lunar Pilot FRED HAISE, Apollo 17 Lunar Pilot HARRISON SCHMITT, Apollo Flight Director GERRY GRIFFIN, and Apollo 7 Lunar Pilot WALT CUNNINGHAM, during Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Apollo Astronauts Press Conference during its day of events celebrating 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Astronaut Press Conference – photo gallery
That day – part of a multi-year series of CAM events leading up to the anniversary on July 20, 2019 – started with a Press Conference featuring Apollo astronauts and flight directors, and Long Islanders who worked for Grumman when it was NASA’s LEM contractor.
Garden City, New York, U.S. June 6, 2019. SAMUEL KOEPPEL, who was Grumman’s Technical Editor when Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp. won the NASA contract to design and build the Lunar Excusion Module for the Apollo Program, is interviewed during Astronauts Press Conference for Apollo at 50 at Cradle of Aviation Museum, where he is a docent. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Click each name to view photo:
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- Walter Cunningham – Apollo7 lunar module pilot
- Rusty Schweichkart – Apollo 9 lunar module pilot
- Fred Haise – Apollo 13 lunar module pilot
- Charlie Duke – Apollo 16 lunar module pilot
- Harrison Schmitt – Apollo 17 lunar module pilot
- Gerry Griffin – Apollo Flight Director
- Milt Windler – Apollo Flight Director
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Garden City, New York, U.S. June 6, 2019. Apollo Flight Director GERRY GRIFFIN is interviewed during Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Apollo Astronauts Press Conference during its day of events celebrating 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
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Garden City, New York, U.S. June 6, 2019. L-R, Astronauts CHARLIE DUKE, Apollo 16, and FRED HAISE, Apollo 13, Lunar Module pilots, pose in front of the genuine Grumman Lunar Module 13, built for canceled Apollo 18 mission, during Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Apollo Astronauts Press Conference during its day of events celebrating 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Apollo at 50 Dinner – photo gallery
Before dinner that night, the cocktail hour gave guests a chance to snack, dance to music by the Freeport High School Jazz Band, and chat and take selfies with astronauts they happened to spot.
Astronaut Fred Haise was chatting with a couple, whom I later learned were Peter and Kelly Kelly, when I asked the guests if they’d me to take a photo of them in front of the Apollo 11 moon mural:
Garden City, New York, U.S. June 6, 2019. L-R, Apollo 13 astronaut FRED HAISE, PETER KELLY and KELLY KELLY, pose in front of moon landing mural at Cradle of Aviation Museum during Apollo at 50 Anniversary Dinner, an Apollo astronaut tribute celebrating the Apollo 11 mission Moon landing. Pete Kelly is youngest of 5 sons of the late Thomas J. Kelly, who led NASA’s design team for the Lunar Module. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Days after the event, I realized Peter Kelly was the youngest son of the late Thomas J. Kelly, Long Island’s aerospace engineer who led the design team for the Lunar Module and NASA calls the Father of the Lunar Module.
FYI from fLI: Thomas Kelly was born in Brooklyn in 1929, and he was raised in Merrick – where I was born and raised, decades later. One of us graduated valedictorian from Mepham High School, and the other taught there briefly during a long career in Bellmore-Merrick CSHD.
- Freeport High School Performers – photo gallery
Several groups from Freeport High School performed at the Apollo at 50 Dinner, and cocktail hour immediately before it: FHS Select Chorale singers, FHS Upperclassman Jazz Band musicians, and FHS Navy Junior ROTC cadets.
Garden City, NY, U.S. June 6, 2019. Freeport High School Select Chorale singers, standing behind FHS Navy Junior ROTC cadets saluting, are perforning during Apollo at 50 Anniversary Dinner, an Apollo astronaut tribute celebrating the Apollo 11 mission Moon landing, at Cradle of Aviation Museum. ( 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
I knew Freeport H.S. had accomplished, artistic students ever since I had the chance to work with them developing editorial photography skills during their Art Expos a few years ago.
The night of the Apollo at 50 Anniversary Dinner, the groups were WOW-accomplished; plus they had such presence before the camera, whether in candid shots – or in a small group or large group of Navy Junior ROTC cadets in front of historic aircraft – or a hastily assembled group of singers with astronaut HARRISON SCHMITT.
Garden City, New York, U.S. June 6, 2019. L-R, GERRY GRIFFIN, Apollo Flight Director; Apollo 9 astronaut RUSTY SCHWEICKART; Nassau County Executive LAURA CURRAN; and Apollo 16 astronaut CHARLIE DUKE pose for photo at Cradle of Aviation Museum during Apollo at 50 Anniversary Dinner, an Apollo astronaut tribute celebrating the Apollo 11 mission Moon landing. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
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Garden City, New York, U.S. June 6, 2019. ANDY PARTON, President of Cradle of Aviation, is speaking on stage, as seen from second level of atrium of Cradle of Aviation Museum, during Apollo at 50 Anniversary Dinner, an Apollo astronaut tribute celebrating the Apollo 11 mission Moon landing. The 5 Apollo Astronauts, 2 Apollo Flight Commanders, and Nassau County Executive LAURA CURRAN sat at tables next to stage. U.S. Navy Blue Angels Grumman F-11A Tiger jet is suspended from ceiling. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)
- Silent Auction
Space memorabilia and space themed Items donated for the Silent Auction fundraiser were on display in a corridor off the ground floor level of the atrium. Interested bidders didn’t need to be at the anniversary dinner, since bids were placed securely online.
Garden City, New York, U.S. June 6, 2019. Colorful print ‘Just the Beginning’ of Neil Armstrong in front of American Flag – signed by its artist Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean – is a Silent Auction fundraiser space memorabilia item on display at Cradle of Aviation Museum during Apollo at 50 Anniversary Dinner, an Apollo astronaut tribute celebrating the Apollo 11 mission Moon landing. (© 2019 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)
Feature Photo at top of post: Garden City, NY, USA. June 10, 2019. On stage are L-R, MICHAEL STROMER, JetBlue Chief Product Officer, Technology and MARC MACDONNELL, Chair, Board of Directors of Cradle of Aviation, as seen from third level of atrium of CAM, during Apollo at 50 Anniversary Dinner. U.S. Navy Blue Angels Grumman F-11A Tiger jet is suspended from ceiling. Astronauts and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran are seated at tables next to stage.
site: Cradle of Aviation Museum
My news Photos of Apollo at 50 Anniversary, Cradle of Aviation Museum, 6/6/2019:
