It is sad to think far too many people did not realize May 5 marked the 50th anniversary of Alan Shepard being the first American rocketed into space.

Unfortunately many newspapers and other media outlets pushed the event to a small corner on a back page or even ignored it completely. For that, shame should be upon them.

It was a momentous event, not only our history but the history of the world. Yes, the Russians beat us but Shepard's flight put us into space and on track to advance into a world that had previously been science fiction.

And it was really the first television special. The only thing that rivals the interest today of the space shots then is the announcement of who won on American Idol. For that, shame should be on us.

In Huntsville, Ala., where I grew up, space was big business so the schools actually closed and allowed students to stay home and watch history. The amazing thing was we did. I was in a room with about 10 friends and despite the interminable delays, the idea of going outside and playing was out of the question. We didn't want to miss anything.

People all over the country were glued to grainy black and white TVs holding their breath. The public was enthralled and exhilarated over the idea of sending a man into space, frightened and terrified at the prospect of what might happen should something go wrong.

Had the rocket blown up, which was a very legitimate concern at that time, or Shepard been killed on reentry, the entire world would have been witness to what would be forever called America's failure. When it was over and he returned safely everyone let out a deep breath and cheered at the same time.

This was a time when people looked at government and actually saw men of vision and industry who could make tough decisions and face the consequences without blaming everyone but themselves.

The space program called for men who were the best and brightest, educated but who saw utilizing that education for more than just making money. They had a vision of the future and wanted to be part of something that was greater than themselves.

It was a time when we looked at our government with pride as to what could be accomplished, and not only accomplished but accomplished in full view of the world. Now we tend to look at government and all we see is incompetence, indifference and professional liars who excel at hiding the truth.

The space race was really a rocket race, which most people did not realize at the time. Certainly there were military overtones and it was understood by anyone involved in the program, but that was not what captured the imagination of the world.

Rockets were the tools and you could not get into space without them, but space was the goal that invigorated everyone.

Perhaps most astonishing is that Shepard's flight only went 117 miles into space, did not orbit the Earth, and lasted only 15 minutes. That was the extent of America's space achievement when President Kennedy announced we would go to the moon.

Shepard's flight set in motion advances not only in technology but in vision and planted the idea in many young men and woman the future did not have to end in a mushroom cloud.

Soon the space shuttle flights will end and America will be thumbing a ride into space courtesy of the Russians. That will be a sad day.

Perhaps if the memory of Shepard's flight, and all those who followed him, were not shoved away to the back pages of history we would still feel the excitement of reaching for a goal and the thrill of achievement when it was obtained. Now, more than ever, that is something we need.

Ric Latarski is a freelance writer who writes on a variety of topics and can be reached at Rlatarski@aol.com.