Neil Armstrong

My hero is Neil Armstrong. He was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Neil liked flying at an early age. He was also a test pilot and tested many planes, including the X-15. Neil went to school at Purdue University on a Navy scholarship, but the Korean War interrupted his studies.

Neil is a hero because he was a United States Navy pilot. In the Korean War, he flew in a Panther jet in Fighter Squadron 51. Neil flew 78 combat missions in the war. The Korean War started in 1950 and ended in 1953.

Neil joined NACA (now called NASA) as an astronaut. He was command pilot for his first space mission, Gemini VIII. It was the sixth manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini program. The rocket launched on March 16, 1966. One day later, Gemini VIII tried to dock on another spacecraft but it failed. There were some problems with the docking maneuvers.

Neil is a hero. On July 16, 1969, Neil flew to the moon on the Columbia. He was the first man to set foot on the moon. When Neil got back to Earth, he got medals including the Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

When Neil died, statements made after his death talked about his service to our country, accomplishments, and modesty. When I walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at me, I think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink. Neil Armstrong is my amazing hero.