The Original Moonwalker, Neil Armstrong, Passes Away at 82
The AFP reports that former astronaut, Neil Armstrong, passed away Saturday in Cincinnati, Ohio, following complications from recent heart surgery.
His family released this statement:
"While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves.”
CNN reports that NASA administrator Charles Bolden said, "As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them. As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero."
Armstrong made two historic trips into space. According to CNN, his first was in 1966 as the commander of the Gemini 8 mission, which he saved from disaster after a thruster rocket malfunctioned, sending the shuttle spiraling. The site reports that the commander is credited with calmly steadying the ship and returning his crew safely home.
Armstrong’s second trip was the legendary moon landing, as part of the Apollo 11 mission with fellow astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Together they created a landmark event in our nation’s history; accomplishing a feat once couched firmly in the realm of pure fantasy, and inaugurating a memory of wonder and triumph that served to define all generations of Americans witnessing it.
John Glenn, a good friend and fellow astronaut, told CNN that Armstrong was bitten by the aviation bug early on and had his pilot’s license before he had his driver’s license. He also served in the Navy, flying 78 combat missions during the Korean War.
If Armstrong's defining characteristic was inspiring others to dream big, his second, as reported by those who knew him best, was his striking humility. Aviation expert, Miles O’Brien, explains it like this, "He was a quiet, engaging, wonderful, from-the-Midwest kind of guy...But when it came to the public exposure that was associated with this amazing accomplishment...he ran from it. And part of it was he felt as if this was an accomplishment of many thousands of people. And it was. He took the lion's share of the credit and he felt uncomfortable with that.”
That’s not to say Armstrong was unaware of his contributions to our history, but he spoke about them in exactly the way you'd expect from someone who dedicated his life to serving a cause greater than himself. "Looking back, we were really very privileged to live in that thin slice of history where we changed how man looks at himself and what he might become and where he might go.”
Were you lucky enough to have witnessed Armstrong step foot on the moon? Are there any other moments in history that you feel were as defining for the country?
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A Bay Area native, Andri Antoniades previously worked as a fashion industry journalist and medical writer. In addition to reporting the weekend news on TakePart, she volunteers as a webeditor for locally-based nonprofits and works as a freelance feature writer for TimeOutLA.com. Email Andri | @andritweets | TakePart.com
