Editor’s Note: From the July 20 editions of the American Press for 2009, 1994, 1969 and 1944.

E

10 years ago

The American Press spent this past Saturday in Matthew Courtney’s nine-hour concealed carry class for the Louisiana concealed handgun permit. Courtney teaches the class in a rhetorical fashion. . . .

Half-way through the class, another instructor, Todd Baudin, came to help coach participants on their shooting stance practice. On the gun range, the final qualification requires you to hit a target within the silhouette six times each from three different distances.

Moon walk 
40th anniversary

It belongs to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. His footprint will stay on the moon for millions of years with nothing to wipe it away, serving as an almost eternal testament to a can-do mankind.

What put man on the moon 40 years ago was an audacious and public effort that the world hasn’t seen before or since. It required rocketry that hadn’t been built, or event designed in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy declared the challenge.

E

25 years ago

Lake Area people

Brandi Doucet, 15-year-old daughter of Gwen and David Morrison of Westlake, has been crowned Miss Teen Cajun Music by the Cajun French Music Association. She will be a sophomore this fall at Westlake High.

GeMar Braxton, Washington-Marion High School; Kathryn Regan, St. Louis High School; and Martha Van Hoy, LaGrange High School, have been named to the Lake Charles Youth Partnership to replace the members who graduated in May.

E

50 years ago

Apollo 11 
moon landing

HOUSTON, Texas — The Apollo 11 astronauts tested their moon landing craft in lunar orbit Saturday and found it ready for a rendezvous with history today. Air Force Col. Edwin E. Aldrin crawled into the lunar module, nicknamed Eagle, and turned on all its systems for the first time since it was launched from Cape Kennedy four days and 250,000 miles ago.

The module must work to perfection of Aldrin and Commander Neil Armstrong are to land on the moon and return safely to earth. That historic exploration is to begin at 12:42 CDT when the moon lander undocks. It is to land at 3:14 p.m., with Armstrong stepping on the surface at 1:17 a.m. Monday, while Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Collins waits in the command module.

VFW home 
groundbreaking

Members and auxiliary of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2130 took part in the ground-breaking ceremony Saturday for their new post home. Construction of the building will cost $150,000.

[Editor’s note: Pictured are Orlean Marcantel, commander; Mrs. Orlean Marcantel, auxiliary president; E.C. Hamilton, advocate, and Howell Johnson, representative of Henry Brothers Co. of Sulphur. ]

E

75 years ago

Killed in action

Pfc. Edward Keys, age 25, son of Mr. and Mrs. L.J. Keys of Elton, was killed in action in France June 15th. No details were given by the war department of the soldier’s death but his family knew that he had gone into the invasion in the first wave and that he was probably with the Fourth Division since he had written of being with Brig. Gen. Teddy Roosevelt who died last week.

Surviving the private besides his parents are his wife, Mrs. Eltra Ortego Keys of Basile; a sister, Mrs. Allen W. (Edith Ellen Keys) Segraves of Jennings; a brother, Sgt. S.L. Keys of the Marine Air Corps who is based at Cherry Point, N.C.

l

Our Past is a daily feature compiled by Mike Jones.