(Originally printed in The Scroll, Winter 2013)

David Almacy, Widener ’92, shares his recollections from Neil Armstrong’s memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC on September 13, 2012.

What led to your decision to attend the memorial service?
Almacy: “A couple days before the event, I saw a tweet about it from my friend Melissa Price (Kappa Kappa Gamma, Florida State). She is a former White House colleague of mine who has also worked at NASA and she mentioned that she was interested in attending the service, so I sent her a note and we decided to go together.” shared Almacy. He said, “Obviously, Neil Armstrong’s contributions to humanity are monumental. This was a rare opportunity to be a witness to history; and as a fellow Brother in the Bond, I just had to go to pay my respects to a true American hero and one of the fraternity’s greatest members.”

Almacy sensed the enormity of the honor of having a national memorial at the Washington National Cathedral. As a native and longtime resident of the greater DC Metropolitan area, Almacy has observed major world events that have been commemorated at the National Cathedral —- weddings, funerals, memorials. In fact, he somberly remembers the important role that the National Cathedral played as the United States began the healing process after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The cathedral served as a backdrop for the national memorial service attended by many notable Americans including then President George W. Bush and two former U.S. Presidents.

As a side note, in preparation for the 2012 Phi Delta Theta Convention in Washington, D.C. this past summer, Almacy authored a Phi Delt blog post featuring the Top 10 Things To Do in DC and listed the Washington National Cathedral as #5.

Tell us about the day.
Almacy: “The service didn’t start until 10 AM, but we knew we had to get there early. We arrived around 8 AM and were roughly fifth in line. Before we knew it, the line had snaked around the block and out of sight. Just ahead of us in line, we struck up a conversation with a father and his 16 year-old son who had made the trip down to DC from New Jersey the night before. Sporting matching NASA neckties, they were clearly Space enthusiasts. In the past, they have toured several NASA facilities, attended launches and knew many of the famed NASA personnel who have made their mark on history. In addition to their entertaining running commentary, they seemed genuinely impressed when I mentioned that I have met Brothers Story Musgrave (Syracuse) and Jon McBride (West Virginia) through my involvement with Phi Delta Theta,” said Almacy.

It was a touching and meaningful service, with remarks provided by Eugene Cernan, the last American astronaut to stand on the lunar surface, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and former Treasury Secretary John Snow.

The details of the lunar landing, and Mr. Armstrong’s heroic reaction to the computer system’s failing by manually taking the controls and making the decision the land in unfamiliar terrain with no fuel and seconds to spare was remembered by Cernan during the service. In 2010, Almacy attended the General Officer reception at Kennedy Space Center during the Phi Delta Theta General Convention in Orlando, Florida. While there, he remembers sitting through a presentation reenacting the Apollo mission. During the exhibit, the audience re-lived the Apollo moon landing and heard the exact communications between Armstrong and the ground control center as he safely landed the module. The reality of the situation, Neil Armstrong’s skill as a pilot and the extent of his heroism took on special meaning that day, too.

While leaving the cathedral, Almacy noted many were taking pictures of a particular stained glass window. Someone in the crowd told him that when the astronauts were on the moon, they retrieved a moon rock and presented it as a gift to the National Cathedral upon return. An artisan worked that moon rock into one of the stained glass windows in the cathedral, which was represented by the artwork on the front cover of the memorial service program. This further deepened the symbolism that Neil Armstrong and his life were memorialized in such a noteworthy and sacred place as the Washington National Cathedral. Almacy has donated his memorial service ticket and the program from the National Cathedral to the Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters for display in its museum.

As a member of Phi Delta Theta, what did it mean to be a Brother to Neil Armstrong?
Almacy: “Of course, every Phikeia quickly learns that one of the most famous Phis was Neil Armstrong. It was probably the first alumnus name I learned,” quips Almacy. “We learned about the kind of man he was, humble, heroic, honorable. As a fellow member of Phi Delta Theta, his example challenges us to also pursue greatness in our own lives and to do our part to strive to contribute to society in the spirit.” His evaluation of the man, “I always admired Neil Armstrong for his humility in recognizing that his achievements were not just about one person, but rather all of those involved in the historic moon landing.” Armstrong is well known for his quiet reserve and determined effort to live a private life, and more notably, not cashing in on his fame, or demeaning or minimizing the countless efforts of all space endeavors that came after him.

______

David Almacy is the former White House Internet director for President George W. Bush and current senior vice president in Edelman’s Washington, DC office. Edelman is the world’s largest public relations firm, with 65 offices and more than 4,500 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities. Almacy is a former Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters staff member (1993-95) and has served as a province president. Currently, he is chairman of the Survey Commission, where he and his fellow board members assist in the fraternity’s expansion efforts.

Source: The Scroll, Magazine of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Winter 2013 Volume CXXXVI, Number 2