Neil Amrstrong has Died at the Age of 82

Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, dies. He commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon July 20, 1969.

I think only a few people know that he served in Korea as a pilot. He was always a dare devil and was a decorated combat navel pilot during the Korean War.

When selected for the space mission he escaped death a few times during the test flights. His first words after setting foot on the surface are etched in history books and the memories of those who heard them in a live broadcast.

"That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind," Armstrong said.

Although he had been a Navy fighter pilot, a test pilot for NASA's forerunner and an astronaut, Armstrong never allowed himself to be caught up in the celebrity and glamor of the space program. "He didn't give interviews, but he wasn't a strange person or hard to talk to," said Ron Huston, a colleague at the University of Cincinnati. "He just didn't like being a novelty."

Armstrong was one of the quietest, most private men he had ever met wrote Aldrin in his book "Men from Earth".  At the time of the flight's 40th anniversary, Armstrong again was low-key, telling a gathering that the space race was "the ultimate peaceful competition: USA versus U.S.S.R. It did allow both sides to take the high road with the objectives of science and learning and exploration."

A great man indeed. May he rest in peace!