posted 09-19-2004 03:22 PM               

I feel a necessity, however, to thank you whom we all went to see and visit with for a short time. I would like to send each of you astronauts and celebrities who were there a personal thank-you for your time, courtesy, and general spirit of bonhomie exhibited at and around the show. I am unable to do that because you either do not have, or I do not know, your physical or e-mail addresses. Thus, this open letter, which I hope many, if not all, of you will see.

It has been emphasized many times in postings here that you astronauts and celebrities were kind, courteous, and gracious, but it has not been said, as far as I know, directly to you. I want to thank you directly, and this is the best way I know how.

Irrespective of the fees charged and the fact that this was, in some respects, an economic endeavor for you special guests at the show, most of you, almost to a man or woman, were more gracious and accommodating than I would have expected. Not that I expected surliness or churlish behavior -- in fact, had I given it any thought, I would have thought you would have been nice -- but the magnitude of your amiable, obliging, and cheerful kindness to my son and to me was, so to speak, off the charts. It was more and better than I could have imagined.

In short, you astronauts and celebrities made the Burbank Show an experience of such fond memories that it is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. To see in person, to grasp by the hand, to speak to and to be spoken to by, people who have been some of my greatest heroes for, in some cases, more than forty years, and then, on top of that, to find you to be so very goodhearted and gracious, are simply beyond my powers of limited eloquence to describe, much less my ability to express my gratitude to you for.

I shall not name names, because to do so would be probably be to omit someone deserving of special mention, so I direct my comments to all of you. Most of you are no longer heroes to me -- you are still heroes in the usually accepted sense, but you are also heroes because, in addition, as Alexei Leonov put it so well, "Good Guys." You are heroes as well as nice, friendly, courteous, kind, and accommodating people, whom I am particularly honored to have met.

And if you are not a space hero yourself, if you were not there because you were an astronaut, then I honor you also, for the same sterling qualities, whether you aided the space program directly, or entertained us with humor or drama connected with space stories, or salvaged a spacecraft thought lost forever. All of you were unfailingly gracious.

I offer my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for all you did for us collectors. I hope that all of you had as grand an experience as my son and I had, and that you came away from the Burbank Show with just as positive experiences and memories. And I wish you all happiness, prosperity, and good health for many, many years to come.

Richard Scheer

posted 09-19-2004 04:56 PM            

As I stated in another post, that weekend was truly a magical experience for myself and my 8 year old son Blake.

It was one of the highlights of my 47 years on this planet, and I am certain the experience will live on with my young son for a very long time.

Those of you that signed his Saturn V and smiled for a picture - well the experience and memories will always be cherished.

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts and souls.

With much Aloha -