Over the past several years, I'd lost track of an old friend from Panama City FL. I met Dot when I moved to Florida to work on the Rapid Runway Repair Program at Tyndall AFB (now more well-known for having been devastated by Hurricane Michael in 2018) in April, 1981. She, with a BA in Math from Ohio State University, was a Civil Service employee who specialized in AICUZ (Air Installation Compatible Use Zone) determinations. Thirteen years my senior and the mother of seven children, Dot was a sister redhead and we fell into an immediate easy friendship. In fact, she mothered the whole workforce in my office - they being, other than me, young men. The photo, below, shows her and another friend, Corinne, at a picnic we had during my last spring in Florida (1983).
I transferred to Albuquerque NM in June 1983. In January, 1984, Dot was sent to the Kirtland Air Force Base to do some work, so she stopped in to see me (photo of Dot, below). She later was sent to McConnell AFB, just up the road a few miles from our house; but, I've no photos from that trip - in about 2000.
The last time I saw Dot was after we had retired from our respective companies. I had been in Kansas since 1990 and she had moved to Ohio just a few months before Hunky Husband and I saw her on our way to Bogie's home. (Born in 1925, Dot continued to work for USAF as a consultant until 2008.)
I found Dot's obituary, online, just minutes ago. She had died in 2015.
I'll remember Dot with a story that she sent me by email just a few weeks before I saw her - at which time we and HH toured the National Museum of the United States Air Force (again!) in October, 2004 - photo of Dot & me at that time, below.
I apologize for the yelling in the following; but, that's how Dot sent the story to me!
9/1/2004
Subject: A Funny Story
GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU SMILE..... ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S A TRUE STORY.
ON JULY 20, 1969, AS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON. HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE MOON, "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND," WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS. BUT JUST BEFORE HE RE-ENTERED THE LANDER, HE MADE THE ENIGMATIC REMARK "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY."
MANY PEOPLE AT NASA THOUGH IT WAS A CASUAL REMARK CONCERNING SOME RIVAL SOVIET COSMONAUT. HOWEVER, UPON CHECKING, THERE WAS NO GORSKY IN EITHER THE RUSSIAN OR AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAMS.
OVER THE YEARS MANY PEOPLE QUESTIONED ARMSTRONG AS TO WHAT THE "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY... STATEMENT MEANT, BUT ARMSTRONG ALWAYS JUST SMILED.
ON JULY 5, 1995, IN TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA, WHILE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOLLOWING A SPEECH, A REPORTER BROUGHT UP THE 26-YEAR-OLD QUESTION TO ARMSTRONG. THIS TIME HE FINALLY RESPONDED. MR. GORSKY HAD DIED, SO NEIL ARMSTRONG FELT HE COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION.
IN 1938 WHEN HE WAS A KID IN A SMALL MIDWEST TOWN, HE WAS PLAYING BASEBALL WITH A FRIEND IN THE BACKYARD. HIS FRIEND HIT THE BALL, WHICH LANDED IN HIS NEIGHBOUR'S YARD BY THE BEDROOM WINDOWS. HIS NEIGHBOURS WERE MR. AND MRS. GORSKY.
AS HE LEANED DOWN TO PICK UP THE BALL, YOUNG ARMSTRONG HEARD MRS. GORSKY SHOUTING AT MR. GORSKY.
"SEX! YOU WANT SEX?! YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON!"
RIP, Dot Miller, you were a good friend!
That is a funny story.
Posted by: Ingineer66 | December 11, 2019 at 10:42 PM