The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
Issue link: http://sar.epubxp.com/i/518694
16 SAR MAGAZINE By Al Newberry, David Frohman and Beirne Miles C oinciding with the opening of this year's Spring Leadership meeting in March, the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution was delighted to accept for exhibit the Lunar Bible and welcomed Compatriot Al Newberry, a member of the Jordan Milam Chapter in Harrison, Ark. This extremely rare, complete Lunar Bible is one of only 12 flight-certified Lunar Bibles to make landfall on the lunar surface and contains all 1,245 pages of the King James Bible, printed on a single 1½ inch-square Microform within a unique, handmade gold and bejeweled reliquary. This piece is on a one-year loan courtesy of Compatriot Newberry, along with several related items from the SAR's collection in the SAR Genealogical Research Library's Mary & James S. Craik Special Collections Room in Louisville, Ky. The Lunar Bible exhibit illustrates several important themes evident throughout American history: namely, the idea of Americans as pioneers, the country's inexhaustible national spirit of exploration, and our continual search beyond the horizon for new enterprises. Both the American Revolutionary era and the 1960s tell of a united effort as a nation to overcome obstacles and advance its position in the world. This exhibit draws connections among the early American citizens and patriots striving to create, explore and establish benchmarks for advancement; the contemporary American efforts, through some of the patriots' own descendents, that continue this apolitical, common human value toward self-motivated improvement; and an understanding of the world in which we live and our place in the universe. Selections from the SAR's museum collection depict American exploration, talent and ingenuity, and its underlying faith to provide an overarching context for the Lunar Bible. The selected pieces seek to draw connections between the Lunar Bible of the 20th century and the frequent presence of the Bible in Colonial American history, its use in Presidential inauguration ceremonies, its influence around our nation's founding documents, and the use of family Bibles as key genealogical resources. The Apollo program consisted of 17 missions designed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to land humans on the moon and was America's third human spaceflight program (after the Mercury and Gemini projects), spanning from 1961 until 1975. 1 It was conceived during Compatriot and President Dwight D. Eisenhower's term in office, though it received the majority of its initiative after President John F. Kennedy's address to Congress in 1961. Kennedy stated that he envisioned a national goal of "landing a man on the moon" by the end of that decade in a competition with the Soviet Union in the ongoing "space race." 2 Apollo's teams had to overcome large setbacks from the beginning. The death of three astronauts in 1967 during Apollo 1's launch pad fire was devastating, though this catastrophe in fact spurred the Lunar Bible's creation through the Apollo Prayer League. 3 The vision and dedication of the NASA administration and the American public to carry on during tragedy helped solidify the nation's drive to explore space. Although the Lunar Bible achieved lunar orbit while aboard Apollo 13, it was not until the Apollo 14 mission that the Bible, carried by Edgar D. Mitchell, ultimately landed on the surface of the moon. NASA's size and weight constraints for the mission dictated the Lunar Bible's compact design. With its launch on Jan. 31, 1971, Apollo 14's primary objectives were to explore and record the Fra Mauro region on the moon, conduct lunar geological surveys, deploy scientific instruments on the surface, and photograph high-resolution images of future lunar landing sites and deep-space phenomena. This mission was led by three crew members: Alan B. Shepard Jr. as commander, Edgar D. Mitchell as lunar module pilot, and Stuart A. Roosa as command module pilot. The crew landed on the moon on Feb. 5, 1971 (for the third time in NASA history), carried out its lunar study, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean 216 hours and 2 minutes after its launch. 4 The Apollo program set lasting milestones in human spaceflight, sparking technological advances in the areas of rocketry, manned spaceflight, avionics, telecommunications and computers. As an integral part of the authentication and preservation of the remaining Lunar Bibles, David Frohman, president of Peachstate Historical Consulting in Atlanta, became the first of his generation to discover the Lunar Bible project in 1999. Frohman then went on to carefully research, document and ultimately certify those 12 complete copies of the Lunar Bible (sometimes referred to as the "Twelve Apostles") known to be unquestionably authentic in partnership with astronaut Mitchell and James W. Stout of the former Apollo Prayer League Governing Committee. In 2011, Frohman completed his definitive reference work on the Lunar Bible project, entitled "The Story of the First Lunar Bible," which may be read online at www.lunarbible. com . Frohman was also responsible for designing and handcrafting the 22-karat, solid gold reliquary housing within which the Lunar Bible rests, and the handmade full- calf binding that surrounds the gold-encased Bible and certification certificates. The Lunar Bible is a tangible remnant of the American space race and a reminder of the efforts of those involved to thrive on challenges and push the envelope of our worldviews. The Lunar Bible is of profound significance not only to the space artifact-collection community as a twice- flown and once-landed lunar artifact, but also to the rare book community, the worldwide religious community, the Library Showcases Photos by Bob Gardner/MGM Photography SAR Foundation President Sam Powell, above left, and President General Lindsey C. Brock open the Lunar Bible Exhibit at the SAR Genealogical Research Library. Lunar Bible