Neil Armstrong

Most people would think of a hero as a celebrity or someone famous, that’s not what a hero truly is, a hero could be a person who nobody has ever heard about or is only know in a small town but the thing that makes people a hero is the things they do for others. A hero could be a boy who rescued someone’s cat from a tree or the great hero soldiers that are fighting the war in Iraq for our freedom, but my hero is known to most people and did one of the most courageous things anyone could do. Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969.

Neil Armstrong (http://www.onemonkey.org/caspar/apolloxi.htm)

On August 5, 1930, a hero was born. His name was Neil Alden Armstrong. He grew up in Wapakoneta and has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University. Neil also has a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. He also has an honorary doctorate from a number of Universities. Neil has received a number of honorary awards. He received the Presidential Medal for Freedom in 1969 and the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy 1970. Another reward that he received was the Robert J. Collier Trophy in 1969. Finally he received the Congressial Space Medal of Honor in 1978.

Armstrong was a naval aviator from 1949 – 1952 and was selected for the astronaut corps upon leaving the military and becoming a test pilot. Not only was Neil Armstrong the first man to touch the moon but he was also the first man to successfully complete a docking in space along with fellow astronaut David Scott aboard Gemini 8 in 1966. Then on July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, aboard Apollo 11, successfully landed the Eagle on the lunar surface. That is when Armstrong spoke the unforgettable phrase,” That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” Armstrong and Aldrin searched the moon’s surface for 2.5 hours before returning to the Eagle. When Armstrong returned to Earth, he was rewarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to the space program.

In T.S.Barren’s book, The Hero’s Trail, he talks about people being different types of Heroes, and one of those heroes was the Hero to others near and far. I believe that Neil Alden Armstrong falls into this category. He is this hero because when he touched the moon, and said those words, he proved to the world that you can achieve the impossible. This moment was very inspiring to all. This made people look up to Neil Armstrong and want to be like him, I know I did. So when you look up to the moon at night, just think of there being a man on it and if you want, picture yourself.

Neil Armstrong has done an incredible thing by landing on the moon, but you don’t have to do that. A hero could do anything from touching the moon to saving a dog from a tree, but we’ve all got it in us. So stand up and be a hero and remember anybody can do anything.