Page 27 - Ruth Law
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RUTH LAW
DAYTONA'S PIONEER AVIATOR
WE FLEW TO THE MOON
Neil Armstrong
1930 -
Commander Apollo 11, July 16-24, 1969
On May 25, 1961, President John Fitzgerald
Kennedy spoke these words…..
"First, I believe that this nation should commit
itself to achieving the goal before this decade is
out, of landing a man on the moon and returning
him safely to earth"…...
Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, attended
Purdue University and served as a naval aviator from
1949 to 1952. He flew 78 combat missions during the
Korean War.
In 1962, Armstrong attainted astronaut status with
NASA, and in 1969 Neil became the commander of Apollo
11, the first manned lunar landing mission. He gained
the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on
the moon and the first man to step on its surface.
As he stepped down the nine steps of the Lunar Module,
named "Eagle" after the national bird, he said, "That's
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
The actual quote should have been, "That's one small
step for "A" man, one giant leap for mankind."
Six hundred million people across the globe gazed in awe
at their television screens as the lunar landing craft
touched smoothly down.
HER PLACE IN AVIATION HISTORY
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