By Chandan Kar, Batch of 2016
Heroes are they who motivate us but they only become idols when they inspire us.On Saturday August 25, 2012, an idol lost his life. Neil Armstrong was the first person to bravely leave our world behind and set foot on another. On July 21, 1969, he walked on the moon.
To be a young boy witnessing this amazing–and I don’t use that term lightly–this amazing feat would have changed my life in ways unimaginable. But I wasn’t alive in 1969.
Yes…Neil Alden Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also an aerospace engineer, U.S. Navy pilot, test pilot, and university professor. Before becoming an astronaut, Armstrong was a United States Navy officer and served in the Korean War. After the war, he served as a test pilot at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics High-Speed Flight Station, now known as the Dryden Flight Research Center, where he logged over 900 flights. He graduated from Purdue University and completed graduate studies at the University of Southern California.Armstrong was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon along with Collins and Aldrin, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, and the Congressional Gold Medal with his former crewmates in 2009.
I know.. surprised..??? Its true.. A man who surpassed all expectations..
A man who took a giant leap for mankind when his footprints got embedded on the moon for the ages to come..
Mr Armstrong was 38 years old at the time and even though he had fulfilled one of mankind’s age-old quests that placed him at the pinnacle of human achievement, he did not revel in his accomplishment. He even seemed frustrated by the acclaim it brought.
“I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks but for the ledger of our daily work,” Armstrong said in an interview .
A true hero can only say these words…—–“I kind of hope that somebody goes up there one of these days and cleans them up,” he said.
While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves.
So let us pay tribute to this terrific guy by simply embarking upon a journey where we would be remembered for our deeds after our death.. like Armstrong who is still remembered and will hold a special place in our hearts for the years to come..