Local fifth grader wins speech competition with a look back at the moon landing

Editor’s note: Rachel Doll, a fifth grader at St. Joseph School in Ellinwood, recently took first place in the Modern Woodmen of America Diocesan Speech Competition in Ness City. Following is the text of her winning speech. The topic for the competition was, “An American Landmark.”

An American Landmark

By Rachel Doll

It’s not a monument, but it is monumental. It’s not a place where tourists can visit, but it has been visited.

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted an American flag on the surface of the moon. This moon landing is a significant American landmark.

As Armstrong’s boot settled into the powdery moon dirt, more than 375,000 km from the earth, he proclaimed these now famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

In my speech today, we will begin by looking at the history of the first manned mission to land on the moon. Next, we will learn about the design and assembly of this unique landmark, and finally we will examine the pride it represents to the citizens of America.

For the first time in American history, a human had set foot on the moon. It was probably the most watched step ever, with approximately 500,000,000 people around the world viewing television images of this amazing lunar landing. I can only imagine how people felt while viewing those images. The American people tuning in from earth watched and listened as the astronauts unveiled the plaque attached to the lunar module and read, “Here men from earth first set foot on the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” It was signed by Armstrong, Aldrin, the third Apollo 11 astronaut, Michael Collins, and president Richard Nixon.

The United States space mission, called Apollo 11, was the first manned mission to land on the moon. Neil Armstrong commanded the assignment. He was also the pilot of the lunar module, called the Eagle. Although the entire journey lasted only a few days, it marked the fulfillment of a long held human dream.

Aldrin and Armstrong’s actual moon walk lasted about two and a half hours, during which they planted an American flag.

There was a lot of thought and preparation put into the construction of this one of a kind flag. Scientists began work on the lunar flag assembly about three months prior to the Apollo 11 mission. The design was based on a number of engineering constraints. For example, to compensate for the lack of atmosphere on the moon, the flag included a horizontal crossbar to hold it up.

The astronauts would be wearing bulky spacesuits, so they needed a flagpole that was easy to assemble and place in the lunar surface. The team designed the entire assembly to be as light weight as possible. When finished, it weighed about 9lbs and 7ounces. Apollo 11 astronauts noted that they could only drive the lower portion of the flag 6 to 9 inches into the surface.

This milestone has been more than three men on a voyage to the moon ... this stands as a symbol of the avid curiosity of all mankind to explore the unknown.

You might be wondering why I consider this an American landmark. The familiar sight of two men placing our flag into the moon is definitely not your obvious structure or building. However, this moment, this breakthrough, this American flag placed on the moon’s surface is a recognizable image of pride, honor, freedom, and liberty.

This unique landmark is a little out of this world, but just as Neil Armstrong’s footprint is left embossed on the moon, this historic experience has made a treasured mark on our hearts.