|
...special effects colours introduction. I will now switch to straight-shooting American reporting.
The 1962 ticker-tape parade was not in honour of me but of the Mercury astronauts, especially John Glenn, who had just orbited the earth. The limousine had been assigned to Harry Howard, mayor of Perth, a city that had won American hearts (really and truly) by turning on its lights to salute Glenn as he flashed past, higher over the city than any earthling had been. With other Australian correspondents, I had gone out to meet Howard at La Guardia airport on the morning of the parade. Lyndon Johnson, then vice-president, and keen to establish himself as ruler of outer space, had arrived at La Guardia about the same time, coincidentally, as Howard, and insisted that the mayor ride in the parade with him, in his limo.
Flustered by the sudden change of plan, Howard asked me, the only person he knew in the rejoicing crowd: "Do you want to take my limousine?"
I imagine it was my innate generosity that saw the limo filled in an instant with Australian reporters. Our numbers, squeezed into one car, caused the jubilant shouts and cheers to abate a bit when we appeared on Broadway. The astronauts had a limo each. Kilgallen on my knee provided some authenticity. She knew a couple of us slightly and had hailed our driver imperiously from the Broadway sidewall. Once aboard me she smiled and waved to the crowd, if not like an astronaut, at least like a celeb. Dorothy inspired us. Having hunkered down furtively, waiting for the cops to drag us from our purloined limo, we Australians threw ourselves into the waving and smiling act. The vast, uncritical crowd wanted to see astronauts, even where there were none. "Which ones are they?" I was gratified to hear one of our sidewall admirers ask.
Returning to the question...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos
have been removed from this article.
More articles from Quadrant
Discretion.(Poem), November 01, 2006
Roaring through life., November 01, 2006
Thank God for eccentrics.(Book review), November 01, 2006
From under love's table.(Book review), November 01, 2006
Notes towards a new renaissance.(Martin Fitzgerald)(James Franklin)(Al..., November 01, 2006
Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.
Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication
name or publication date.
About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company
analysis or best practices in managing your organization,
Goliath can help you meet your business needs.
Our extensive business information databases empower business
professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible,
authoritative information they need to support their business
goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting,
company research or defining management best practices -
Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.
|
%20%20&position=1)