Remarks in St. Louis to Employees of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.

Mr. McDonnell, Senator, Governor, Mr. Mayor:

I want to express my very warm thanks to all of you. I know that some of you are on the first shift, and some on the second shift, and I appreciate very much your coming out and saying "Hello."

This is a most important effort in which you're all involved--building these planes which help protect the security of the United States and the dozens of countries which are associated and allied with us all around the world, which would not be free if it were not for the power and the determination of the United States, and also because of your efforts in the field of space.

As Mr. McDonnell said, no one can tell exactly what the future holds there, but it is an unexplored sea. It is essential that the United States participate in this great adventure. It is essential that the United States be first, and therefore we depend upon you. In the United States every citizen of this country is involved in this effort. As I pointed out this morning, it costs every citizen, man, woman, and child, today 40 cents a week to be involved merely in the effort in space. It will shortly cost them 50 cents a week.

Every citizen of this country has a stake, and is participating in this effort, but it all comes to you, to those in Houston, to those in Cape Canaveral, to those at MIT, to those on the West Coast, who perform the vital functions which make it possible to put one man or two men first in orbit around the earth, and then in orbit around the moon, and then on the moon, and then come back. And you are part of that great effort.

I can imagine no action, no adventure which is more essential and more exciting than to be involved in the most important and significant adventure that any man has been able to participate in the history of the world. And it's going to take place in this decade.

I congratulate you on what you have done and I congratulate you on being part of this adventure.

Thank you.