What would have happened if *gulp* Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin hadn’t ever made it off the moon?
Luckily President Nixon’s speech writer, William Safire — who passed away this week aged 79 — was prepared with a speech in the event of any Apollo 11 astronaut strandings. And a careful note to call the “widows-to-be” before publicly announcing their deaths.
Note: read the below in a booming voice.
via Gawker
This was published in *every* edition of Mr Saffire’s excellent collection of speeches ‘Lend me your ears’. Well worth the read, as it is more than a ‘collection’ it also includes an analysis about the mechanics of why great speeches work.
“Widows-to-be”. Spooky stuff indeed.