Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement:
“On May 25, 1961, during a joint session of Congress, President John F. Kennedy challenged our leaders to be the first nation to put a man on the moon and dared us to do so by the end of that decade.
“In the years that followed, the strength, resolve and ingenuity of the American people was put to work on a mission to further our understanding of, and reach into, the universe.
“The 1960’s were marked by turmoil as our country grappled with the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and the battle for gender equality. But for one day – this day, 50 years ago – the entire world stopped. We gathered together and looked towards the stars as an Eagle Scout from Wapakoneta, Ohio climbed down the ladder of the lunar module to become the first human to stand on the surface of the moon.
“Four days later, Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins returned safely to Earth. Heroes – real leaders who were role models for all – in a time we desperately needed them.
“President Kennedy said, ‘We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…’
“We must never forget what America is capable of when we unite for a common purpose. Unity is something that seems far too rare in our nation today, perhaps not all that different than 50 years ago.
“But today, let us come together to remember the true capacity of America and commit to finding the unity that allowed us to push forward into the darkness of a new frontier and live up to the promise of our history.”
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