Local Resident Recalls Moon Landing
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel [email protected]
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," said Armstrong as he took his first step on the moon's surface.
The 40th anniversary of the moon landing will be celebrated Monday.
Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the history-making crew of the Apollo 11 space shuttle, had made the United States the winner in the "Space Race" against the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.
Meanwhile, a kid in a small Polish town wasn't concerned with the politics of the event. He was transfixed by the event.
Waclaw "Adam" Adamczyk was in high school when Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon.
The moon landing occurred in the early morning hours of July 21 in Adamczyk's hometown in southern Poland.
He said he doesn't remember the moon landing itself. Televisions were scarce in Poland at that time.
"There was only one television for about every 10 to 15 people," said Adamczyk. "But I can remember that's what everyone was talking about."
It was then he began collecting everything about the Apollo 11 mission and space travel he could get his hands on. He'd cut articles out of the newspaper and glue them to poster board. He'd collect magazines.
But what he really wanted was a picture of the Apollo 11 crew.
"You'll never know unless you try," said Adamczyk. "You never know if you can have something unless you ask."
His English limited and not knowing how to get something to Armstrong, he wrote a brief letter to congratulate the astronaut.
He addressed it to "American Astronaut Neil Armstrong, Houston, USA."
"That's all I knew," said Adamczyk. "I knew (NASA) was in Houston and that was it. I don't know the state or the zip code."
Months passed before Adamczyk got a response.
"When I got the letter back, the mailman delivered it personally," said Adamczyk. "They were probably skeptical, you know, this kid is corresponding with the 'evil West'.
"This is during the height of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall was still up and I was on the wrong side of it," said Adamczyk.
Despite a leery look from the mailman, Adamczyk got the letter and opened it.
Inside was a picture signed "To Waclaw Adamczyk, With Best Wishes" and it was signed by the three members of the Apollo 11 crew.
"I was the hero of the town," said Adamczyk chuckling. "The only thing better than that is if I would have gotten a moon rock."
Not everyone was happy with Adamczyk's new collectible.
"The Russian teacher wasn't happy. He wanted to know why I hadn't gotten the autographs of Russian cosmonauts."
Undeterred by any jealousy, Adamczyk's fascination with space only grew. He would write the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, and ask for any information he could get about the space program.
He even contacted the Soviet's space program for information.
"They sent me pamphlets," said Adamczyk. "But they said I could only keep them for a couple of weeks and made me pay for the postage to me and back."
Then in 1980, Adamczyk came to the United States for a 4-H foreign exchange program and lived with a host family in Atwood.
The early 1980s were a volatile time in Poland as resistance to the Soviet Union's rule led to the rise of the Solidarity Union led by Lech Walesa, who eventually became Poland's president in 1990.
In 1981, martial law was enacted in Poland.[[In-content Ad]]At that point, Adamczyk emigrated to the United States, eventually being rejoined with his wife, Maria, and two daughters who he had to leave in Poland.
After becoming a U.S. citizen and establishing a home in Warsaw, Adamczyk continued his passion for space travel.
He and his family traveled to Cape Canaveral in Florida and NASA in Houston.
While in Florida, they traveled to the Kennedy Space Center, which Adamczyk calls "the highlight of my trip."
Then came a trip to the Smithsonian Institute where he was finally able to see and touch a moon rock.
"It's only in America where you can touch the moon," said Adamczyk.
He said with the upcoming anniversary, it's something Americans can look back at and treasure.
"With everything that's going on in the world," said Adamczyk. "For this to come up, we can look at this and say we're Americans and this is a proud moment for us."
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"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," said Armstrong as he took his first step on the moon's surface.
The 40th anniversary of the moon landing will be celebrated Monday.
Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the history-making crew of the Apollo 11 space shuttle, had made the United States the winner in the "Space Race" against the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.
Meanwhile, a kid in a small Polish town wasn't concerned with the politics of the event. He was transfixed by the event.
Waclaw "Adam" Adamczyk was in high school when Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon.
The moon landing occurred in the early morning hours of July 21 in Adamczyk's hometown in southern Poland.
He said he doesn't remember the moon landing itself. Televisions were scarce in Poland at that time.
"There was only one television for about every 10 to 15 people," said Adamczyk. "But I can remember that's what everyone was talking about."
It was then he began collecting everything about the Apollo 11 mission and space travel he could get his hands on. He'd cut articles out of the newspaper and glue them to poster board. He'd collect magazines.
But what he really wanted was a picture of the Apollo 11 crew.
"You'll never know unless you try," said Adamczyk. "You never know if you can have something unless you ask."
His English limited and not knowing how to get something to Armstrong, he wrote a brief letter to congratulate the astronaut.
He addressed it to "American Astronaut Neil Armstrong, Houston, USA."
"That's all I knew," said Adamczyk. "I knew (NASA) was in Houston and that was it. I don't know the state or the zip code."
Months passed before Adamczyk got a response.
"When I got the letter back, the mailman delivered it personally," said Adamczyk. "They were probably skeptical, you know, this kid is corresponding with the 'evil West'.
"This is during the height of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall was still up and I was on the wrong side of it," said Adamczyk.
Despite a leery look from the mailman, Adamczyk got the letter and opened it.
Inside was a picture signed "To Waclaw Adamczyk, With Best Wishes" and it was signed by the three members of the Apollo 11 crew.
"I was the hero of the town," said Adamczyk chuckling. "The only thing better than that is if I would have gotten a moon rock."
Not everyone was happy with Adamczyk's new collectible.
"The Russian teacher wasn't happy. He wanted to know why I hadn't gotten the autographs of Russian cosmonauts."
Undeterred by any jealousy, Adamczyk's fascination with space only grew. He would write the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, and ask for any information he could get about the space program.
He even contacted the Soviet's space program for information.
"They sent me pamphlets," said Adamczyk. "But they said I could only keep them for a couple of weeks and made me pay for the postage to me and back."
Then in 1980, Adamczyk came to the United States for a 4-H foreign exchange program and lived with a host family in Atwood.
The early 1980s were a volatile time in Poland as resistance to the Soviet Union's rule led to the rise of the Solidarity Union led by Lech Walesa, who eventually became Poland's president in 1990.
In 1981, martial law was enacted in Poland.[[In-content Ad]]At that point, Adamczyk emigrated to the United States, eventually being rejoined with his wife, Maria, and two daughters who he had to leave in Poland.
After becoming a U.S. citizen and establishing a home in Warsaw, Adamczyk continued his passion for space travel.
He and his family traveled to Cape Canaveral in Florida and NASA in Houston.
While in Florida, they traveled to the Kennedy Space Center, which Adamczyk calls "the highlight of my trip."
Then came a trip to the Smithsonian Institute where he was finally able to see and touch a moon rock.
"It's only in America where you can touch the moon," said Adamczyk.
He said with the upcoming anniversary, it's something Americans can look back at and treasure.
"With everything that's going on in the world," said Adamczyk. "For this to come up, we can look at this and say we're Americans and this is a proud moment for us."
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