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Charles Duke, a former New Braunfels resident, is known for being the youngest person to walk on the moon. Throughout his career, he was involved with 5 of the 9 missions to the moon in various roles. Serving as the capsule communicator (CAPCOM) during the Apollo 11 mission, he was the voice that the astronauts heard when they landed on the moon.
“My Southern accent voice was heard as they touched down,” Duke said. “It was really close, we were within seconds of calling an abort due to fuel problems, but anyway we heard, ‘Touchdown, engine stop,’ and we knew they were on the ground. I said something like, ‘Roger, Tranquility.
We copy on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue, we’re breathing again.’ And that was the truth — everybody in mission control was holding their breath.
” As lunar module pilot of Apollo 16, Duke became the youngest person to walk on the moon at age 36. He described the moment he stepped onto the moon for the first time. Apollo 16 astronaut Charles M.
Duke Jr. is shown in his official NASA portrait. “(I felt ) excited, awe, wonder, enthusiastic,” Duke said.
“It’s just, ‘I’m on the moon, I’m on the moon,’ and you just have all these incredible emotional feelings, but you got to do your work so you have to enjoy the beauty of it all while you’re still working.” When it came time to head back to Earth, Duke left behind two items on the moon that were meaningful to him. One item was a coin marking the U.
S. Air Force’s 25th anniversary. The other was a photograph of his family.
“It was very neat — the kids loved it and it’s the only one so far that’s been left up there of a family, so (it’s) very special,” his wife Dotty said. After Duke retired from NASA in 1976, the couple moved to New Braunfels before relocating to South Carolina two years ago. Dotty said they loved living in New Braunfels and still miss it.
The family enjoyed floating the river, camping out and going hunting in Canyon Lake. Duke and Dotty will be returning to New Braunfels in April for a United Way of Comal County speaker series luncheon featuring four NASA heroes. Event attendees will have the opportunity to hear from a panel including Duke, Dan Brandenstein, Tom Henricks and Gerry Griffin.
Henricks and Brandenstein were the space shuttle pilot and commander of four space shuttle missions. Griffin was director of the NASA Johnson Space Center and conducted lunar landings for several Apollo missions. When the landing of Apollo 13 was aborted due to an oxygen tank explosion, his team played a key role in the safe return of the astronauts.
The NASA United Way speaker series is taking place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.
m. on Wednesday, April 9 at the McKenna Events Center. To secure sponsorships or tickets for the event, visit uwcomal.
org/speaker-series/ ..
