He leapt from the ladder and plunged toward the lunar surface. His boots landed firmly, leaving footprints for eternity. Can you imagine what he was thinking? The feeling of accomplishment he must have felt? Standing on the moon and looking back at the Earth must have been breathtaking. At that moment on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became a legend. He became the first human to set foot on another body other than Earth.
This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.
Neil Armstrong always seemed like a reluctant hero. Quiet, thoughtful and prone to avoiding the limelight, the former moonwalker directed credit and the attention to others. In this age of PR agents, 24-hour cable news, Twitter, Facebook and Snooki having a best seller, it seems almost quaint. Buzz Aldrin danced with the stars. Neil Armstrong stayed refreshingly grounded here on Earth.
Yeah, I wasn’t chosen to be first. I was just chosen to command that flight. Circumstance put me in that particular role. That wasn’t planned by anyone.
He died today.
He died before he could see America make it back to the moon. He died as his country is gripped in a time of self doubt and fear. Fear about the economy. Fear about a whole number of things. He died at a time when America has lost its nerve. God, we need more Neil Armstrongs. Not less.
I fully expected that, by the end of the century, we would have achieved substantially more than we actually did.
We need more people who get the job done and then quietly go on with their lives. People who are in it for more than just the glory. Neil Armstrong — pilot, engineer, father, husband, teacher, explorer, reluctant hero –wanted to be judged by the ledger of his life. I think it is safe to say he will be judged kindly. Today a modest man once again slipped the surly bonds of Earth.
I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine.
Neil Armstrong didn’t waste a single heartbeat. He lived an amazing life of exploration, risks and adventure. He lived his life well.
Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.
God bless Neil Armstrong and his family. Thank you for a lifetime of inspiration.
The Eagle has landed.
Well said.