Op-ed:

Remembering and honoring Neil Armstrong

By: Diane Sori

 

Yesterday, America lost a true hero when Neil Armstrong passed away.

With these simple words, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind” man took the first step towards reaching for the stars when on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon.

American ingenuity, know how, scientific leadership, and most importantly exceptionalism, shined brightly that day as the world was glued to their televisions watching this brave explorer place our beloved American flag onto the lunar surface, claiming the moon NOT for America but for all mankind.

And so Neil Armstrong assured his place in history as the most courageous of all explorers advancing man’s eternal quest for knowledge.

From humble beginnings in Ohio; to becoming a Navy jet fighter pilot flying 78 combat missions during the Korean War (for which he received three Air Medals); to logging more than 1,000 hours as a test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor to NASA; to becoming one of the first civilian astronauts, and then finally becoming commander of the now immortal Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong did this all with humility and grace, never seeking or reveling in the bravado that so rightly came his way.

Neil Armstrong, Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, and Michael Collins, the crew of Apollo 11, fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s dream of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 1960’s.  With the words, “Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed" heard around the world, our dream of true manned space exploration had begun. 

“The single thing which makes any man the happiest is the realization that he has worked up to the limits of his ability, his capacity.  It’s all the better, of course, if this work has made a contribution to knowledge, or towards moving the human race a little further forward,” Armstrong said in describing what the Apollo 11 mission meant to him.

And describing it well he did for man’s quest for knowledge must never be stopped...for if it is man himself will become complacent and stop growing, learning, and exploring the wonders of the universe around him.  And thanks to brave men like Neil Armstrong, a new generation of space explorers is ready to take up where he left off and reach for the stars.

Neil Armstrong is sadly gone but his footprints and our American flag that he so proudly placed on the lunar surface are still up there, and will be remembered for all eternity by the brave men and women who share his dream of touching the stars. 

 

And next time, on a clear night when I look up at the moon in all its splendor, I will do as his family requested by remembering Neil with a wink, and thank him for a job well done as a tear rolls down from my eyes.   

Rest in Peace Neil Armstrong for now you are one with the stars you so loved.