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The World Has Lost A True AMERICAN HERO...


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I think his family summed it up well:

"Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

RIP Mr. Armstrong. I was only 13 months old when you walked on the moon, but you are truely an American hero.

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Missed he will be, proud we are , forgotin never. Thank you neil armstrong for your courage and perservierance, and thanks to all of his family for the support they gave him thru all of their scrifices. Good bye moon man , may you rest in peace and enjoy the love and comfort of heavin . GOD BLESS AMERICA : )

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Living in Lafayette IN and working at Purdue University as I do--Neil Armstrong's passing has hit most everyone here in some fashion or another. I grew up within 3 blocks of the Purdue campus, just three blocks from the Phi Delta Theta house where Armstrong was a member.

On July 20, 1969, I was in the TV lounge at McArthur Hall at Parsons College out in Iowa, watching, along with all of my dorm-mates, that first step onto the moon, along with at least 600 million others around the world--that "One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind" got peoples' attention all at once, in unison. At that moment, he became the superstar here, of all the aeronautical and astronautical figures who were either associated with, or graduated from, Purdue.

It was really poignant, yet heartwarming to watch our local news just now, as the TV reporter interviewed several newly minted freshmen--and to a person, they all expressed their feelings of being impacted by a man they'd heard of, seen in pictures, read about in their history books. Neil Armstrong is immortalized at Purdue, with the College of Engineering's premiere classroom and laboratory building named for him (from funds donated by several of his 1955 classmates--who had to persuade Armstrong to let the university name the building for him!). At the west entrance to Neil Armstrong Hall, seated on a massive limestone bench, is a 4-times larger than life bronze statue of a 24 year old Armstrong, as a student, seated on that bench, gazing off down Engineering Mall. In front of the statue is a set of also-four-times-larger-than-life concrete NASA moon-boot prints, created through the loan of a pair of those boots that went to the moon and returned; replicating Armstrong's first stroll (and the first "jump" by anyone on the moon!). Hardly a day goes by that some child, on campus with his or her parents, hops from one boot-step to the next, leaping just as Armstrong did. When it's impact on ordinary people, 40+ years after the fact--it's IMPACT.

Somehow, I like to think that the "Man in the Moon" is pleased that a man came, walked the first steps on his face, becoming his first "house guest".

Rest In Peace, Neil Armstrong, BS in Mechanical Engineering, 1955.

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Neil Armstrong is immortalized at Purdue, with the College of Engineering's premiere classroom and laboratory building named for him (from funds donated by several of his 1955 classmates--who had to persuade Armstrong to let the university name the building for him!).

That's type of guy he was. Never wanted to be called a hero, didn't want the limelight. Being so humble made him an even bigger hero to me and a lot of other people.

I watched him "touch down" with a college buddy. We had just graduated 2 months earlier. We both had goose bumps. Young kids grew up with the knowledge that we'd been to the moon and it wasn't a big deal. Folks in my age bracket (68) were totally in awe of the whole space program and the moon landings especially.

Edited by Miatatom
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I wasn't even born when he landed on the moon but I do remember my first trip to kennedy space center and seeing those first rockets and imagining those guy standing before their boss saying "you want me to go where, in what?". courage those guys had it by the truck load not to mention great big spheres of steel.

rest in peace mr. armstrong you earned it.

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My son in laws father was an Air Force pilot and after that flew commercial jets. He told me that he met Neil Armstrong one day, Neil was working on something for the airline. He asked him what it was like to have walked on the moon. Armstrong turned around and walked away without saying a word to him. He asked his buddies (who worked with Armstrong) about what happened and they said that's what he has does to just about everyone. since. They said even in documentaries you wouldn't see much of talk out of him. I could see not wanting to talk about it, but turning and walking away is a bit much. The others that worked with him had their own opinions, but I won't post them here. He was definitely one of my heros. He had the right stuff. Ken

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He was my first hero. He showed us what courage was. He demonstrated what the mind of Man is capable of. He personified self esteem in that he did not seek the esteem of others. He exemplified the joy of discovery.

He was my first hero.

Let him not be the last.

Thank you Mr. Armstrong.

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He asked him what it was like to have walked on the moon. Armstrong turned around and walked away...

With all due respect to your son in law, it was an innocent question and he meant well, but that's about the least engaging thing you could ask considering N.A. probably hasn't left the house in 40-years without some yokel asking him that. I had the privilege of visiting with Frank Borman (Apollo 8, Gemini 7) for about ten minutes and admittedly didn't really know what to say if I didn't want to sound like Chris Farley interviewing Paul McCartney. Remember when you went to the moon? That was awesome.

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