Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon, Is Dead at 82 - New York Times.
Neil Armstrong, a quiet self-described nerdy engineer who became a global hero when he made “one giant leap for mankind” with a small step on to the moon, died Saturday at age 82...
Astronaut Neil Armstrong Dies at 82
A family statement said the 82-year-old icon died Saturday, following a cardiovascular procedure earlier this month.
Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. After stepping on the lunar surface he sent the historic message: "that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." As an enthralled world looked on, Armstrong spent nearly three hours walking on the moon with fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.
Weeks later, Armstrong, Aldrin and the mission's third astronaut, Michael Collins, received a tumultuous welcome with ticker-tape parades in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. They later made a world tour.
The moon walk marked America's victory in the Cold War space race with the Soviet Union that began in October 1957 with the launch of the Soviet satellite "Sputnik 1."
Armstrong had largely withdrawn from public life in recent years. But he spoke earlier this year at Ohio State University at an event honoring fellow space pioneer John Glenn, former senator from Ohio.
President Barack Obama, in a statement Saturday, called Armstrong "among the greatest of American heroes, not just of his time, but of all time."
Saturday's family statement described Armstrong as "a loving husband, grandfather brother and friend." It asked that the public "honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty. And the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."
Armstrong's Apollo 11 mission earned decorations from 17 nations and many special American honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
In later years, he served as Deputy Associate Administrator at NASA headquarters, and was a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He and his family lived on a 120-hectare farm outside of Cincinnati.
Comments
"I was born in the middle of the century in the middle of the country, a classic baby boomer. It was a time when Americans were returning from war and eager to work. To be an American was to assume that all things were possible. When President Kennedy challenged Americans to go to the moon, the question wasn’t whether we’d get there, it was only when we’d get there.
The soles of Neil Armstrong’s boots on the moon made permanent impressions on OUR souls and in our national psyche. Ann and I watched those steps together on her parent’s sofa. Like all Americans we went to bed that night knowing we lived in the greatest country in the history of the world.
God bless Neil Armstrong.
Tonight that American flag is still there on the moon. And I don’t doubt for a second that Neil Armstrong’s spirit is still with us: that unique blend of optimism, humility and the utter confidence that when the world needs someone to do the really big stuff, you need an American.
That’s how I was brought up."
The above quotes are from the acceptance speech delivered tonight at the Republic National Convention by Governor soon to be President Mitt Romney. As we say down south his daddy raised him right!!!
I grew up literally and physicaly in the middle of the Space Program and I was shocked and dismayed when I heard the news today. Not just because of his death but the fact that the "first man on the moon" had to witness the entire Manned Space Program being canceled by an American President before his death. God Bless Neil Armstrong and his family and God Bless America......and God help the fools who thought the the Space Program was the place to begin cutting the budget!