We have had some famous astronauts on the program. John Glenn made an appearance that became the longest interview in the history of the Book Nook. It ran over an hour. I rolled over NPR's news headlines at the top of the hour because I was still talking to John on the telephone and it was a live interview!
Buzz Aldrin has made two appearances on WYSO. He was the second man on the moon. He's quite famous for that. Buzz can be somewhat combative. Some years ago he encountered a fellow who insisted that the entire moon landing had been an elaborate hoax. Buzz responded by taking a swing at that naysayer. Buzz Aldrin gave that doubter a hearty smack in the nose.
By the time Eugene Cernan landed on the surface of the moon it had become a lot less memorable to accomplish that feat. It didn't garner the attention of a John Glenn in orbit around the earth or a Buzz Aldrin heading out onto the lunar surface. But Cernan's feat was no less spectacular. And he was the last human being to do it.
Gene Cernan died the other day. Another American hero is gone. Fortunately we can still listen to the sound of his voice as he recalled those halcyon moments when he could look at the planet earth spinning far away in the distance.
The Book Nook on WYSO is made possible by five local library systems in southwest Ohio: the Greene County Public Library, Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, and Wright Memorial Public Library.