Mike Enzi: “I come to you today on behalf of students and 4-H members and Scouts around the world. Start counting backwards from 10…”

“I come to you today on behalf of students and 4-H members and Scouts around the world. Start counting backwards from 10 to zero: 10, 9, 8, 7--and depending on the context, people will instantly be reminded of their youth, sitting in front of a dimly lit television, watching a rocket take flight as we began the study of space flight and space travel. We were much younger then and all around me kids from all over the State and all around the country were excited and fascinated by the new age of rocketry and, later, space travel. When Russia launched its Sputnik, it created a sensation, and their success, spurred on by the climate of the cold war, challenged us in the United States to reach for the skies. Wyoming isn't called the Pioneer State for nothing, and so my classmates and I were determined we would do everything we could to learn about this new branch of science and involve ourselves in the race for space. It was not too long after that President John F. Kennedy issued a challenge to the Nation to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth. What seemed to be against all the odds soon became reality when Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon, taking a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind. Even today, those of us who saw those events firsthand on the television will never forget what a miracle it was.”