Neil A. Armstrong

Five, four, three, two, one, blast off! Neil A. Armstrong was the first man to land on the moon. He was born August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. He was a pilot during the Korean War. In 1962 he joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a test pilot and astronaut.

When Armstrong was a child, he was interested in flying. He would always read about air travel. Mr. Zint, Neil’s neighbor, would let Neil look at the sky through his telescope. Neil would get things around his house and create planes. In first grade, Neil read 90 books and was reading as well as a fifth grader. On his sixteenth birthday, he received his pilot’s license. He received a scholarship to the University of Purdue, but went to serve in the Korean War. When he returned, he graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1955.

Neil Armstrong’s first job was flying for the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory. This was something he really enjoyed. When Armstrong worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), he was sent to Edward’s Air Force Base in California. He tested many planes. Neil set altitude and speed records. He joined NASA in 1962.

When Armstrong joined NASA, he wasn’t picked right away to go to the moon. He had to work really hard. He was a back-up astronaut for the Gemini 5 mission. After three missions, Armstrong would go into space on the Gemini 8 mission. On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins made history by going to the moon. They went in Apollo 11. They landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. When Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon, he said, “That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”

Armstrong is a very intelligent man who has been given many honors. In 1993 Armstrong was elected into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. He received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978. This award is given to astronauts. He also received the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy in 1970. He received this award for his space achievements.

Neil Armstrong is a hero to me because he risked his life for America. He could have died going to the moon, but he went anyway. He is an intelligent man because he won so many awards and trophies. People get homesick when they sleep away from home. I cannot imagine leaving the planet! That takes a lot of courage and determination. He is a hero to me because he always wanted to fly and he never gave up his dream to do so.

This year I wanted to try out for the competition cheerleading squad, but I didn’t know if I would like it. Neil Armstrong made me think that I can do whatever I want to do, and it doesn’t hurt to try something new. I tried my best, and I made the team. That is why Neil Armstrong is a hero to me.