Earthrise

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As 1968 was drawing to a close, rational people probably would have been happy to get as far away from earth as they could — if such a thing was possible.

By just about any measure that year, the planet was in turmoil as the Christmas season approached.

Three Americans — Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders — had such an opportunity. NASA was going to launch its first manned mission to orbit the moon, and those three men had been selected to make the flight. They would be gone from Dec. 21 to Dec. 27, which meant they would have to be away from their homes and families on Christmas.

But, as I say, in 1968, such an opportunity would have been welcome for most people — and, after a three–day journey, the astronauts arrived at their destination. They made 10 orbits of the moon, during which they did a Christmas Eve broadcast from space (at the time, the most–watched television program ever) and Anders took a famous photograph called "Earthrise," depicting the earth "rising" above the moon, before embarking on the voyage home.

Actually, many photos were taken of the earthrise. The first, in black and white, was taken by Borman, the mission commander. Many others followed.

It was eventually determined that the one that would serve as the representative image was taken by Anders, the lunar module commander.

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In many ways, the woes of 2013 don't really seem to compare to the woes of 1968.

Then, as now, there were American soldiers fighting on foreign soil, but the war in southeast Asia had been going badly since the beginning of 1968, when the Tet offensive persuaded many Americans that there was no hope of winning in Vietnam.

Americans are polarized today as they were 45 years ago, but the divisions we face in 2013 don't seem nearly as insurmountable as they did in 1968, when leaders were being shot down and protestors clashed with police in the streets of major cities.

But Apollo 8 — through its Christmas Eve broadcast and its iconic "Earthrise" photo — gave America and the world a boost when they needed it most.

Our problems may or may not be as severe as the ones of 1968, but we could use another boost like that today.

Don't you think?

Forty Years Ago

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"Earthrise," as seen by astronaut William Anders
on Christmas Eve in 1968.

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Today is Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve always seems to be a significant day, but it was especially so in 1968.

To put it bluntly, 1968 was a grim year. That December marked the end of a year of enormous upheaval in America and the world. The year began with the Tet offensive that convinced millions of Americans that the war in Vietnam could not be won. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy had been assassinated earlier in the year.

When the Democrats met for their national convention that summer, the proceedings were marred by riots in the streets. Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Soviet Union. A three-way race for the presidency went down to the wire that November.

Then, 40 years ago, Apollo 8 became the first manned voyage to orbit the moon. On Christmas Eve of 1968, as the command module orbited the moon, astronaut William Anders took the photo that became known as "Earthrise" because it showed the earth as it appeared to rise above the surface of the moon.

In a Christmas Eve broadcast from space, the crew members took turns reading the first 10 verses from the Book of Genesis. At that time, it was the most-watched TV program in history.

Mission Commander Frank Borman ended the broadcast by saying, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, and a Merry Christmas to all of you, all of you on the good earth."

After all that had happened in 1968, the combination of Christmas with Apollo 8 brought the year to an end on a positive note. The feeling was summed up by a telegram that was sent to the crew after the mission: "Thank you, Apollo 8," it said. "You saved 1968."

And when Borman met Pope Paul VI, he was told, "I have spent my entire life trying to say to the world what you did on Christmas Eve."

All three crew members from Apollo 8 are still alive — Borman, Anders and Jim Lovell (who commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 a little more than a year later) — and they've been reunited on anniversaries of their flight to reminisce about it.

My brother was not quite 6 years old at the time and probably has no memory of it, but I recall how it was the topic of conversation among the adults in my world on Christmas and for days after — how the mission seemed to give everyone a psychological lift after a long and difficult year.

With the problems facing our nation today — with holiday sales at their worst level in 40 years and unemployment filings at a 26-year high — it's too bad there isn't an Apollo 8 to end 2008 on an upbeat note.