I do not have a great many heroes in my life... but Neil Armstrong has always been there, along with his cohorts.

I remember the whole Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. Neil Armstrong was a living legend among the astronaut corps themselves and earned tremendous respect. I watched those fuzzy pictures of his first steps on the moon on a black and white television that night back in July 1969. I still have a picture off the front of the Daily Express newspaper my Dad brought home from work the morning after.

It's sadly ironic that we have no actual pictures of the first man to step on the moon. Not one shot was taken of him as the planned 'photocall' passed by with Buzz Aldrin buy collecting rocks. We have his reflection in Aldrin's space helmet visor in the shot that most will remember. My phone has 100 times the computing power that the lunar module had back then. Neil Armstrong went on to manual in the late landing to 'hand fly' it onto the moon as the computer became overloaded and they ran desperately short on fuel. None of the drama was ever reflected in his voice. Consumate aviator and professional.

On the 40th Anniversay, in 2009, I wrote a song. I post it here now in memory and dedication to Neil Armstrong. May he rest in peace and sleep with the spirit of eagles and angels. Tranquility base indeed!

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Just Twelve Men Got To Walk Upon the Moon - 20th July 2009

"That was one small step for man: A giant leap for Mankind"
Came a message from the tranquil sea
The twentieth of July, Nineteen Sixty Nine
They landed on the Moon for you and me

Chorus

For I know they were brave: My heroes to the end
Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins: Are on my mind again
And all the ones that followed them: Apollo was stopped too soon
Just twelve men got to walk upon the moon.

"Here men from the planet Earth first stepped foot upon the Moon
They came in peace for all Mankind"
The little metal plaque on the lunar lander's legs
We all watched and wondered what they would find

Chorus

Grissom, White and Chaffee, on Apollo One they died
Killed by fire still standing on the ground
Testing things to make it safe for other astronauts
A sad day for Apollo as we mourned

Chorus

Lovell, Haise and Swigert, Apollo Thirteen's crew
"Houston, we have a problem" came their cry
Would they get back down, get them safely back to earth?
Or would we see three more brave men have to die?

Chorus

And so it was we watched our sets just forty years ago
Mankind's first fumbling steps out in space
We had great plans back then that now are just a dream
It's now more of a crawl and not a race

Chorus