Dr. Aldrin,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bill Thompson. I am one of the very few lucky dot com computer programmers who has managed to leave Silicon Valley and get a job as a software engineer in Austin Texas.

I have always been a fan of the Apollo missions and I have always regarded you as the most interesting of the astronauts to participate in these missions. You brought a touch of humor to the Apollo 11 mission by first saying something about not locking the door on your way out of the LM to Neil Armstrong (as I remember it was something to the effect of "I'll leave the door unlocked in case we have to come back" and Mr. Armstrong replied "Good idea") and then, after the mission was over and you were in quarantine, when you were shown a video of the world's reaction to the mission you turned told Neil Armstrong, "Neil, we missed the whole thing".

Very amusing.

I am writing to you because I happened to stumble across your web site while doing a search (I did not realize you actually had a web site) and I had to take a moment and write to my hero. What you have done is something that a lot of people wish they could also do. You put your life on the line to reach humanity to the heavens. This is something I have wished I could do since I was a child. You have also done something back in September that I also admire and respect and wish I could have done.

If we ever meet, beer and/or lunch is on me, sir.



With Sincere Respect,
Bill Thompson

P.S. You might find humor in my parody on BadAstronomy.com:
http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/vi...251&forum=3&44