What did Neil Armstong really say?

[packrat44]

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THIS LITTLE TIDBIT OF TRIVIA, ON JULY 20, 1969, AS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON.



HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE MOON, "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND," WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS.*
BUT JUST BEFORE HE RE-ENTERED THE LANDER, HE MADE THE ENIGMATIC REMARK - "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY".
MANY PEOPLE AT NASA THOUGHT IT WAS A CASUAL REMARK COCERNING SOME RIVAL SOVIET COSMONAUT.



HOWEVER, UPON CHECKING, THERE WAS NO GORSKY IN EITHER THE
RUSSIAN OR AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAMS.
OVER THE YEARS, MANY PEOPLE QUESTIONED ARMSTRONG AS TO WHAT THE -'GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY' - STATEMENT MEANT, BUT ARMSTRONG ALWAYS JUST SMILED.
ON JULY 5, 1995, IN TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA, WHILE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOLLOWING A SPEECH, A REPORTER BROUGHT UP THE 26-YEAR-OLD QUESTION TO ARMSTRONG. THIS TIME HE FINALLY RESPONDED.
MR. GORSKY HAD DIED, SO NEIL ARMSTRONG FELT HE COULD NOW ANSWER THE QUESTION.
IN 1938, WHEN HE WAS A KID IN A SMALLMID-WESTERN TOWN, HE WAS PLAYING BASEBALL WITH A FRIEND IN THE BACKYARD.



HIS FRIEND HIT THE BALL, WHICH LANDED IN HIS NEIGHBOR'S YARD BY THEIR BEDROOM WINDOW.
HIS NEIGHBORS WERE MR. AND MRS. GORSKY. AS HE LEANED DOWN TO PICK UP THE BALL, YOUNG ARMSTRONG HEARD MRS. GORSKY SHOUTING AT MR. GORSKY - "SEX! YOU WANT SEX?! YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON !"
TRUE STORY. It broke the place up.

 

[redduck]

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THIS LITTLE TIDBIT OF TRIVIA, ON JULY 20, 1969, AS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON.



HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE MOON, "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND," WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS.*

I remember listening to this as it happened and as I recall, he said, "That's one small step for a man".

 

[braumeister]

That's a great story, actually. Your memory is of what he was supposed to have said. Unfortunately, he blew it. Hell, who could possibly blame him for being nervous?

The "official" explanation was that the "a" was cut out by the voice-actuated microphone in his helmet, but hardly anyone believes that.

I vividly remember watching it on TV as well, and the "a" was not received on this planet.

 

[brewer12345]

That's a great story, actually. Your memory is of what he was supposed to have said. Unfortunately, he blew it. Hell, who could possibly blame him for being nervous?

The "official" explanation was that the "a" was cut out by the voice-actuated microphone in his helmet, but hardly anyone believes that.

I vividly remember watching it on TV as well, and the "a" was not received on this planet.

Please. Everyone knows the moon landing was faked entirely.

Now I will go hide so that Buzz Aldrin cannot personally deliver a knuckle sandwich...

 

[redduck]

That's a great story, actually. Your memory is of what he was supposed to have said. Unfortunately, he blew it. Hell, who could possibly blame him for being nervous?

The "official" explanation was that the "a" was cut out by the voice-actuated microphone in his helmet, but hardly anyone believes that.

I vividly remember watching it on TV as well, and the "a" was not received on this planet.

That is interesting because I remember him saying "a man" and thinking, "Great, our first moment on the moon is immediately marred by a mistake." That's because I thought it would have been more correct if he had said, "for man." Darn, where's Greg Lee when we need him?

 

[redduck]

Back then, I thought he made a mistake. I just couldn't believe he said, "a man" because then he would be talking about himself (I think) and that didn't seem right to me.

However, let's say I really did hear the "a" (and nobody else did). A few explanations:

1. That I'm extremely intuitive (especially at far distances).

2. That I was on a different planet than braumeister when I heard the transmission.

3. I don't even want to think about a third explanation.

 

[braumeister]

That is interesting because I remember him saying "a man"

You know, the more I think about it, the more I think you're right, and I originally mis-remembered it. I believe he did actually say "a man" instead of dropping the "a" as he was supposed to. Sorry about that; I don't know what got into me.

I believe I'm still right about NASA making up a microphone glitch to explain Armstrong's nervous verbal stumble, though.

 

[redduck]

You know, the more I think about it, the more I think you're right, and I originally mis-remembered it. I believe he did actually say "a man" instead of dropping the "a" as he was supposed to. Sorry about that; I don't know what got into me.

I believe I'm still right about NASA making up a microphone glitch to explain Armstrong's nervous verbal stumble, though.

Well, now there are two of us who remember it correctly. We are still slightly outnumbered.

And, yes, I do recall NASA claiming something about the quote that didn't make much sense to me.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I saw a resurrected TV news interview with Neil Armstrong's parents just after Neil walked on the moon and the interviewer played the tape of his statement as he stepped on the moon's surface for them. Very clear that he said "for man" and not "for a man." Parents said they didn't know if it was a mistake or not but they said he probably wrote it himself.

I can't tell much of a difference in meaning between the two versions and think the argument is sort of forced. I think it's funny that a large portion of the news coverage of his death centers on that statement--I wonder what would be the big story had he said something very simple.

 

[redduck]

I saw a resurrected TV news interview with Neil Armstrong's parents just after Neil walked on the moon and the interviewer played the tape of his statement as he stepped on the moon's surface for them. Very clear that he said "for man" and not "for a man." Parents said they didn't know if it was a mistake or not but they said he probably wrote it himself.

I can't tell much of a difference in meaning between the two versions and think the argument is sort of forced. I think it's funny that a large portion of the news coverage of his death centers on that statement--I wonder what would be the big story had he said something very simple.

For me, it's become a quiet crusade. I don't make an issue of it until it's brought up, kind of like hearing some one pronouncing the "t" in "often".

I thought it was kind of creepy that all these really smart guys would lie/cover up what was said, especially since it wasn't all that important. And, since this debate is still going on, it seems that he had to have said, "for a man". Just too many people heard it. I do remember thinking when I heard it live, "Hmm, we land on the moon and the first thing we do is make a mistake."

The handling of his quote shook my faith in the honesty of the government and of news reporting.

I do believe however, we did land on the moon.

 

[braumeister]

The handling of his quote shook my faith in the honesty of the government and of news reporting.

I'm 100% on your side, but really, it's no different from the spin doctoring we hear every day from every political commentator. "Well, sure he said black, but we all know he really meant white, for the following reasons ..."

The difference is that back in 1969 we didn't expect it. Today we do.
[sigh]

 

[redduck]

I'm 100% on your side, but really, it's no different from the spin doctoring we hear every day from every political commentator. "Well, sure he said black, but we all know he really meant white, for the following reasons ..."

The difference is that back in 1969 we didn't expect it. Today we do.
[sigh]

Nope, it's different and it's worse. They (who ever "they" were and still are) are saying we never heard it, that it never happened. There's no spin to that. I heard him say, "for a man" and I'm sticking to my story.

To enhance your example, my braumeister, the film, audio or what ever would be altered so the guy in your example would be saying "white". As in he never said "black".

Bestwifeever, one reason it's important (or, maybe not so much) is that a historical fact was clearly altered (and not for such a good reason, such as the security of the country).

 

[ERD50]

I saw a resurrected TV news interview with Neil Armstrong's parents just after Neil walked on the moon and the interviewer played the tape of his statement as he stepped on the moon's surface for them. Very clear that he said "for man" and not "for a man." ...

I can't tell much of a difference in meaning between the two versions ...

I see I'm late to this party, and it does seem wrong to thread-jack a joke thread, but...

I don't consider myself much of a linguist (OK, there is an old joke in there...), but I think there is a clear difference between "for man" and "for a man", especially in the context of "A small step for (a) man, a giant leap for mankind". Without the "a", "man" would be the same as "mankind". It doesn't make the same sense. That would say it is both a small step and a giant leap for mankind. You could say that, but it doesn't say much.

Just like "the history of man" means the same as "the history of mankind". But it is different from the history of a man (say George Washington, or Jack-the-Ripper).

So I read this to mean it is a small step for a man (a physically small step for a single man, Neil Armstrong), but a giant leap for mankind. It's another way of saying "His achievements were possible because he stood on the shoulders of giants".

For the record, I think he meant to say "for a man", but I have only ever heard "for man".

-ERD50

 

[photoguy]

It must have been quite an experience seeing (hearing?) Neil Armstrong land on the moon live. The only (positive) world event close to that I have experienced would have been the fall of the berlin wall but I was too young for it to make a big impression.

I certainly hope to see man back on the moon in my lifetime, but I think it might be the Chinese government who sends them.

 

[veremchuka]

As to the "for man" or "for a man" snopes.com: Neil Armstrong's First Words on the Moon here is the original transcript One Small Step

The point of the op's thread was the ironic twist about Armstrong as a boy, his Jewish neighbor wanting a BJ and Armstrong accomplishing the task that would have allowed it. This is total nonsense. I can't believe anyone still believes this urban legend.

snopes.com: Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky! Neil and Armstrong wished "Mr. Gorsky" luck from the moon-Fiction!

 

[drb391]

to the OP - sorry
snopes.com: Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky!

 

[easysurfer]

When he landing on the moon, I remember being a child looking up at the bright moon marveling that a person is there at the very moment. One of my brothers had bought postcards made to look 3-D with pictures of the astronauts on the moon. I wonder what ever happened to those postcards.

 

[Bikerdude]

Neil Armstrong - First Moon Landing 1969 - YouTube

 

[redduck]

Bikerdude,

You gonna' believe what you see and hear or are you gonna' believe me?

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I know I'm jumping in here a little late but this is my take on the whole thing. Mr. Armstrong clearly said "one small step for man" and a few months back at the anniversary and replays of his recording, the subject came up and he was asked about it. I remember Mr. Armstrong saying that he wanted to say "for a man" but acknowledged that it didn't come out this way. This was not a spontanious comment but was planned but never came out of his mouth like he wanted.

 

[Bikerdude]

Bikerdude,

You gonna' believe what you see and hear or are you gonna' believe me?

 

[Original Wally]

BUT the VERY FIRST words radioed back from the Surface were....

"Houston - Tranquility Base Here. The Eagle has landed"