8/14/2019 Dear Sonny

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Mrs. Rich

English 1 Honors

10 Sept. 2009October 5, 1964

Dear Sonny,

Your mother tells me that you’ll be graduating soon, and well, I can’t help but reminisce.

I have no doubt now that you will succeed as a NASA engineer. I wanted to apologize for how I

treated you when you were younger, especially when you got into high school and started

 building rockets. I know it probably seemed like I didn’t appreciate you, but please believe me

when I say I did. I may not have always shown it the best way, but you’re my son, and you’ve

grown into a man. I cared for you then, and I still do.

Remember Cape Coalwood? You needed a place to launch, and I found one for you. Or 

the gravel you needed for Ferro? Or the cement you needed for the launchpad? At the time, I told

you that “I heard there was some cement left over. It’s rained since then so it’s probably ruined,

 but you can have it if you want it. Save the company the expense of hauling it out” (151). I knew

it was never ruined. I knew, but back then I just couldn’t admit to you that I wanted to help. Or 

what about the new commode for Mrs. Bykovski? Or the…hell, I can’t even hope to name them

all! It added up to trainloads of supplies though, I’m sure. By the science fair, you were

commissioning full rockets and complicated nozzles! Oh, I don’t quite know how you pulled that

one off and convinced me, Sonny, but I’m glad you did. I’m damn proud of you, and you should

know that.

There are things I regret, however. Like how after I took you through the mine, your 

mother and I had a fight. “He’s thinking about being a mining engineer” (204), I told her,

ignoring what you had said to me earlier. You said you had no intention of ever working in the

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mine. You were so set on working for Dr. Von Braun, on your rockets, and now it seems you are

close to achieving your dream. I also feel I should mention Mr. Bykovski, may he rest in peace. I

was too harsh on the man, and I overreacted by sending him to work in the mine. It’s not an easy

thing for me to remember. I keep thinking, was there anything I should have done? Should I have

made him go back to being a machinist? In the end, though, it was his choice to make, and he

made it. It took great courage for you to continue making your rockets after the accident.

Remember the last rocket you made? The launch of Auk XXXI, that was a great one. It

was an honor to have been the one to light the fuse. What was it that you said to me? “A rocket

won’t fly unless somebody lights the fuse . . . This one’s yours, Dad, if you want it.” (419).

Without a doubt, I did. I did want it. Pure delight spread across my face when I knelt down in

front of that panel. Sure enough, with just a flick of a switch, it flew up more than six miles. Just

like that rocket, Sonny, you too are shooting for the stars. I hope with all my heart you make it.

Love,

Dad