Where Were You 30 Years Ago . . .

By Courtney Jordan

On July 20, 1969, Neil Alden Armstrong became the first American to land on the moon, ensuring himself a place in the history books. Much has been written about him including the unforgettable quote,

“That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”

Maybe you didn’t know that Armstrong, like John Glenn, is from Ohio. He was born in 1930 in Auglaize County. Because his father worked as an auditor for the State of Ohio, the Armstrong family moved often and lived in several different communities including Ravenna and Warren.

According to the Neil A. Armstrong Museum, he was always interested in aviation. As a boy, he took flying lessons in Wapakoneta which were expensive. Even so, Neil worked hard doing odd jobs and took enough flying lessons that he earned his student pilot’s license by age 16. He graduated from Wapakoneta’s Blume High School in 1947. Upon receiving a scholarship from the U.S. Navy, Armstrong decided to major in aeronautical engineering. The Navy called Neil in for active duty in 1949, and he was sent to Korea the following year. He flew 78 combat missions and was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Essex aircraft carrier.

By 1962, Armstrong had left the Navy, graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue and earned a Master’s Degree from the University of California. He was then accepted into the space program. Neil Armstrong’s first space mission was aboard the Gemini 8, which involved docking with a craft that was already in orbit. That part of the mission was successful. However, as Gemini 8 orbited with the other craft called the Agena, they both began to pitch and roll wildly. Armstrong was able to gain control eventually, but was still forced to make an emergency landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Neil Armstrong’s shining moment came later. According to NASA’s official web site www.nasa.gov, at 4:18 P.M. on July 20, 1969 Ohioan Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. As many Americans watched their televisions intently, Armstrong emerged from the Apollo 11 lunar module and walked on the surface.

Here is Buzz Aldrin’s recollection of what happened when he stepped out: “In less than fifteen minutes I was backing awkwardly out of the hatch and onto the surface to join Neil, who, in the tradition of all tourists, had his camera ready to photograph my arrival.”

Do your remember where you were or what you doing on that famous evening?

“I remember that I was watching the landing on TV at my mother’s house in Columbus,” says Westfield Center resident Tom Watts.

Armstrong was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest honor an American civilian can receive. Other awards include the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the Congressional Space Medal.

Since his famous space trek, Neil Armstrong has kept his roots in the Buckeye State. He was a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati for eight years in the 1970’s. Currently, Armstrong lives on a farm in Lebanon, Ohio and is Chairman of the Board of AIL Systems, Inc., a New York based company.

Want to find out more about Neil Armstrong and the space program? Visit the Neil A. Armstrong Museum web site at www.3d-interact.com/SpaceMuseum/