Mrs. Tweedie March 2010

In 1932, two-year-old Neil In 1932, two-year-old Neil Armstrong watched airplanes Armstrong watched airplanes race. race.

The spectacle surely left its mark The spectacle surely left its mark on young Neil. Four years later, he on young Neil. Four years later, he leaped at the chance to ride in an leaped at the chance to ride in an airplane.airplane.

It wasn’t on a racing plane but a three-It wasn’t on a racing plane but a three-motored passenger plane nicknamed the Tin motored passenger plane nicknamed the Tin Goose. The plane offered rides at the town Goose. The plane offered rides at the town airport. It could carry about a dozen people.airport. It could carry about a dozen people.

Neil and his Neil and his father climbed father climbed aboard and aboard and buckled buckled themselves into themselves into wicker seats. The wicker seats. The engines sputtered engines sputtered to life with a to life with a terrific noise. terrific noise. The airplane The airplane raced down the raced down the runway and runway and slowly lifted into slowly lifted into the sky.the sky.

As the As the ground dropped ground dropped farther and farther and farther below farther below them, people, them, people, houses, cars, houses, cars, everything everything looked smaller. looked smaller. The Tin Goose The Tin Goose plowed through plowed through the clouds as the clouds as gusts of wind gusts of wind bounced it up bounced it up and down.and down.

The noisy, bumpy ride and ever-The noisy, bumpy ride and ever-tilting view worried Stephen tilting view worried Stephen Armstrong. Armstrong.

But Neil was fearless.But Neil was fearless.

Neil was delighted.Neil was delighted.

Neil started making ten-cent Neil started making ten-cent airplane models and reading flying airplane models and reading flying magazines. magazines.

He also He also started having a started having a magical dream. magical dream. In it, he held his In it, he held his breath and breath and hovered above hovered above the ground. the ground. Below him, Below him, people, houses, people, houses, cars, everything cars, everything looked smaller.looked smaller.

On clear nights, Neil climbed to the On clear nights, Neil climbed to the roof of his neighbor Jacob Zint’s garage. roof of his neighbor Jacob Zint’s garage. Mr. Zint had a homemade telescope Mr. Zint had a homemade telescope mounted there and welcomed visitors to mounted there and welcomed visitors to spy the moon and stars. Neil looked spy the moon and stars. Neil looked and looked.and looked.

Neil Armstrong earned his student Neil Armstrong earned his student pilot’s license on his sixteenth pilot’s license on his sixteenth birthday. He was too young to have birthday. He was too young to have an automobile driver’s license.an automobile driver’s license.

In time, Neil Armstrong, student In time, Neil Armstrong, student pilot, became Neil Armstrong, navy pilot, became Neil Armstrong, navy fighter pilot in the Korean War. fighter pilot in the Korean War.

Then he was Neil Armstrong, test Then he was Neil Armstrong, test pilot, flying rocket powered airplanes pilot, flying rocket powered airplanes to the upper edges of the sky. to the upper edges of the sky. Eventually he became Neil Eventually he became Neil Armstrong, astronaut.Armstrong, astronaut.

Astronauts are special pilots who fly Astronauts are special pilots who fly spacecraft around Earth. When Neil spacecraft around Earth. When Neil became an astronaut there was a plan to became an astronaut there was a plan to land people on the moon and then return land people on the moon and then return them safely to Earth. The moon had gripped them safely to Earth. The moon had gripped people’s imagination for thousand of years.people’s imagination for thousand of years.

On July 16, 1969, astronauts Neil On July 16, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins sat in a cramped capsule atop a Collins sat in a cramped capsule atop a Saturn rocket.Saturn rocket.

At 9:32 A.M. At 9:32 A.M. the main rocket the main rocket motors erupted. motors erupted. Flames spewed Flames spewed from the Saturn’s from the Saturn’s tail as it lifted tail as it lifted from the ground. from the ground. Soon the first set Soon the first set of engines of engines exhausted their exhausted their fuel and fell fuel and fell toward the toward the ocean.ocean.

Smaller engines sprang to life and sent the Smaller engines sprang to life and sent the capsule circling the globe. After two turns capsule circling the globe. After two turns around Earth, a final rocket engine blasted the around Earth, a final rocket engine blasted the capsule to 25,000 miles an hour and they capsule to 25,000 miles an hour and they hurtled to the moon.hurtled to the moon.

When they When they reached the moon, reached the moon, Neil and Buzz Neil and Buzz entered a special entered a special spacecraft designed spacecraft designed to part from the to part from the main capsule and main capsule and land on the moon. land on the moon. Mike remained Mike remained aboard the main aboard the main capsule to pilot it as capsule to pilot it as the other two the other two astronauts dropped astronauts dropped to the moon’s to the moon’s surface.surface.

Earthlings Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin Earthlings Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had finally reached the moon!had finally reached the moon!

Wearing space suits and helmets, they opened the Wearing space suits and helmets, they opened the hatch of the spacecraft. Before them was the moon, hatch of the spacecraft. Before them was the moon, magnificent and empty. Neil climbed down a ladder magnificent and empty. Neil climbed down a ladder and hopped to the ground. Special cameras allowed and hopped to the ground. Special cameras allowed 600 million people on Earth to watch and listen.600 million people on Earth to watch and listen.

“ “That’s one small step for man, one giant That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” Neil said into his leap for mankind,” Neil said into his microphone.microphone.

Buzz climbed down the ladder and stepped Buzz climbed down the ladder and stepped onto the moon’s surface. Neil stood next to Buzz. onto the moon’s surface. Neil stood next to Buzz. Their helmets almost touched. Buzz grinned Their helmets almost touched. Buzz grinned broadly. Neil clasped his hand on his partner’s broadly. Neil clasped his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Isn’t it fun!” Neil said.shoulder. “Isn’t it fun!” Neil said.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon and became a hero stepped on the moon and became a hero to millions of people.to millions of people.

But inside him But inside him was the memory was the memory of an ordinary of an ordinary boy from boy from Wapakoneta, Wapakoneta, Ohio.Ohio. A boy who A boy who loved books and loved books and music.music. A boy who A boy who was shy and who was shy and who made friends made friends carefully.carefully. A boy who A boy who dreamed of dreamed of hanging in the hanging in the air suspended air suspended only by a trapped only by a trapped breath.breath.