by Barbara Blum
If you have ever traveled overseas, then returned to the U.S., you likely filled out a “customs declaration” form on the airplane:
“Are you bringing with you: plants, food, animals, soil, disease agents, cell cultures or snails? Declare all articles that you have acquired and are bringing into the United States.”
Who would have guessed the regulations would have been enforced so rigorously in 1969 when three men returned to the U.S. from a rather long business trip – to the moon and back. After more than 477,000 miles roundtrip, they had to file and sign a “General Declaration” for the items they acquired on the trip — specifically, “moon rock and moon dust samples.”
The flight number was typed in as “Apollo 11,” and the departure point was listed as “Moon” with arrival at Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.
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