By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A special exhibit at the Walter Cronkite Memorial on the Missouri Western State University campus commemorates the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

University curator Amanda Morrow says it’s appropriate for the Cronkite Memorial to focus on the Apollo 11 mission which first landed a man on the moon.

“He was a big proponent of space travel and he spent a lot of time learning about the principles of space travel so he could communicate those principles to the public,” Morrow tells St. Joseph Post.

The special Apollo 11 exhibit features recreations of the flag planted on the moon as well as Neil Armstrong’s footprint on the lunar surface. The Cronkite Memorial also has displays of artifacts which actually flew in space, loaned it by Cosmosphere Space Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Artist in residence, Eric Fuson, says the exhibit has already evoked special memories for those who have viewed it.

“The whole mission of making it to the moon and competing with the Russians was so cohesive to the nation,” Fuson says. “We all came together to make this happen and it was such a point of pride within the country. Even the kids wanted to be part of it; it was like, I want to be an astronaut. So, it was just very, very cool.”

Morrow says she has observed various generations of families interact at the exhibit with grandparents explaining what it was like to see Neil Armstrong take his first step on the moon.

“A lot of these things are human experiences and so regardless of your age, you can find a way to connect to them, which is great for school groups, but also great for families, too.”

The Apollo 11 exhibit is on display now at the Cronkite Memorial, located on the Missouri Western State University campus in St. Joseph. It will run through August.