The Armstrong Family asks that you honor Neil by:

[Ichingcarpenter]

“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.

“For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. 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.”


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/neil-armstrongs-family-mourn-loss-of-good-man-celebrate-his-remarkable-life.html




?w=593&h=261&crop=1

[cherokeeprogressive]

1. That actually made me cry. n/t

[monmouth]

4. I too have something in my eye(s). Lovely, unselfish statement...n/t

[WCGreen]

24. MrsWCGreen teared up as well...

It's pretty amazing that the First American to orbit the earth is an Ohioan and the first man to step foot on the moon is also a Buckeye...

And also, remember that the Wright Brothers were from Ohio...

[Bette Noir]

43. Me, too.

[Frustratedlady]

2. What a nice comment.

May Neil rest in peace. Job well done!

[niyad]

3. can indeed do that

[lovemydog]

5. In the past couple of years, service has made my life

more meaningful and more enjoyable. I spend every Thursday volunteering at a nonprofit horse shelter that rescues abandoned and mistreated horses. We have 60 horses there now. We feed them, give them a wonderful environment, bring them back to full health, and then whenever possible adopt them out to beautiful environments where their new owners take good care of them. This simple thing has brought profound changes in my life, all of them good. The ironic thing is that I initially started volunteering there in order to get away from people who were irritating me and have a chance to be away from people - yet via these gentle and spectacular creature, I'm now much more patient and tolerant around other people and actually am finding more pleasure in associating with humans. It has also provided free exercise. I highly recommend service in whatever form suits you - as a means of living with purpose & refining clarity toward what matters!

[NCarolinawoman]

39. ****

[mnhtnbb]

6. Very cool.

[riverwalker]

7. oh

Made me cry as well. I don't know why Armstrong's death is hitting me so hard, but it is. Feels like the end of an era. The end of a dream.

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. Well gets getting me

more than I thought, I've seen 3 Apollo launches.

[randome]

9. Maybe it can serve as the impetus for new dreams.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. No words

“For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. 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.”

Indeed.

[lunatica]

11. His death has made me cry too

To think of the difference in our attitudes then and now. We were the can do country. The big dreamers. The pioneers. Now we're the laughing stock of the world, and God help us, we've earned it. through the idiocrats from Bush to Sarah Palin to Michelle Backmann to Todd Akin.

There is much to grieve.

[pitbullgirl1965]

35. His death is very upsetting

to me. I don't know why, it just is. As you stated above science was once respected in this country, and now a sizeable slice of Americans think the earth is 5000 years old. My father would be appalled and angry.

There is much to grieve.

Yes there is.

[classof56]

50. You post rarely but well!

I share the grief over what we as a nation have lost since that night I watched Neil Armstrong step onto the moon and utter his famous words. Not sure we can regain all that's gone, but we must keep faith it will happen.

Incidentally, my pitbull mix left me seven years ago, something else I grieve. She was my constant companion, friend and source of unconditional love. I shall always miss my Cammy!

[snappyturtle]

41. +1000 nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Honor Neil by turning on a child to the wonder of the universe. (my suggestion) nt

[kestrel91316]

27. Honor him by teaching all our children about science and the scientific method

and the wonders of the natural world. And teach them that man is not supreme.

[Marrah_G]

48. Someday that will be son up there

[avebury]

13. K&R nt

[nolabear]

14. What a sweet sentiment. I'll do just that.

[Brother Buzz]

15. Works for me

[Loki]

16. Beautiful words to remember the man who gave us

the adventure of our lifetime.

[Faygo Kid]

17. I would do that anyway. And remember them all.

I remember sitting on the floor in the cafeteria/gymnasium in East Detroit in elementary school and watching Alan Shepard and John Glenn go up.

The Boomers had it best, with no interference from computers. Instead, we built forts, played baseball, and came in when the streetlights came on.

Sublime.

[Dustlawyer]

22. We're JFK the POTUS today and we had not yet gone to the moon, the Repugs would have never allowed

it, unless maybe we outsourced it to Halliburton! There are unintended consequences to killing something like NASA. We have all heard of the things we enjoy today that we're a byproduct of the space program. Unfortunately, we seem jaded to things like the Mars Rover. We should embark on the next great challenge which, although not near as exciting for most, taking our Democracy back! Eliminating special interests and the influence the few "Haves" have over our Government. The people need their voice back. There would be many "small steps," but it would be one hell of a "giant step for mankind!"

[LongTomH]

55. Our economy is still based largely on the investments in science and space made by Ike, JFK & LBJ.

Our support for science in general has been slipping for decades. We still have a lead in some areas; but, Europe seems to be taking over in high-energy physics.

[lastlib]

18. "WE CAME IN PEACE for ALL mankind."

Godspeed, Neil Armstrong!

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

[onethatcares]

19. that's one of the best things that can be asked

to follow through would be the greatest honor.

[Ken Burch]

20. The night of the moon landing, I actually walked outside(I was eight at the time)

and looked up at the moon, hoping I'd see Neil and Buzz.

We don't get many clear nights here in Southeast Alaska, but next one we do, I'll follow the Armstrong family's wishes.

[grasswire]

21. he didn't do it alone ---- give US a wink!

WE did it. America. Stand tall.

[hedgehog]

23. kick!

[malaise]

25. Lovely

[kestrel91316]

26. He was such a humble man. He actually reminds me a bit of my dad,

who was also career military.

Definitely not chest-beating war mongers, either one of them.

[Herlong]

28. OMG

This is exactly what we need in a time like this!

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

29. I think I see his footprint!

[WinstonSmith4740]

30. I will do this tonight...

I fortunately live in an area with very dark night skies, so tonight I will take out my 'scope, bring in the Sea of Tranquility, and salute a great, brave man.

Rest well, Neil. You did our country proud.

[The Wizard]

31. One giant loss for mankind (NT)

[rurallib]

32. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

And so he did.
Let us honor his example.

[joeybee12]

33. That's great...knr

[Botany]

34. That I can do.

[1620rock]

36. Those were the days my friend...we thought they'd never end....RIP Neil Armstrong, RIP.

[FSogol]

37. Will do!

[Hissyspit]

38. I've been doing that for 40 years.

Well, not the wink part. Sometimes I remember that the first human being on our moon accidentally cut off a piece of his finger with a lawnmower once.

[abolugi]

40. trending on twitter tonight..

https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23WinkAtTheMoon

[DaveHee]

42. A tribute to the first man on the moon, back in the 80's

My wife researched and wrote this song, I and our robot assistant backed up her performance of it.

&list=PL6074047ACEE27EB8&index=2&feature=plpp_video

[FightForMichigan]

44. Already did...

I drove home from volunteering tonight not knowing that Armstrong had passed. As I drove, I couldn't help but notice the moon following me outside my car window. I don't always notice the moon, but tonight I did. I glanced at it several times - it was so beautiful. I caught a bit of earth shine illuminating the dark side. I think now I know why and what it was.

[Mapletonian]

45. I think we could best honor Neil

with adequate funding and emphasis for public education. Public education made it possible.

[RoccoR5955]

46. IMNSHO, the best ways that we can honor the sprit of Armstrong

are:
1) to see that space flight gets more public funding, and less private funding. The discoveries and inventions that came via the space program, that we enjoy today, would have cost much, much more, had space flight been privately funded. Now that the bulk of it is privately funded, we can expect that anything related to the programs are going to cost the public an order of magnitude more.

2) see that there is more funding for public education. None of this public funding of private schools. Education should be available to everyone who wants, and qualifies for it. There should be more funding for public higher education, so that public colleges and universities may once again be free of tuition, as they were in the past.

3) we should do what we can to get kids interested in science, math and engineering, and keep their interest. Pointing out the planets, stars, and steering kids to relevant resource materials can do this. I help at a local observatory, showing kids the stars and planets, and explaining what I know about them.


I will honor the request, and think of our first space pioneers, in particular Armstrong, when I next look at the moon. I do each and every time.

[rdking647]

47. the moon mourns

[Lifelong Protester]

49. I will, I do,

but I am sad. I am sad because of the passing of this man, and sad for the passing of the great sense of purpose we had as a nation when we went to the moon.

It just has made me think all last night about our once great sense of mission in this country. I for one, do not feel that any more.

My life's trajectory has paralleled the 'moon mission. I feel this loss deeply.

[hlthe2b]

51. Gorgeous picture and wonderful sentiment. I shall think of you, Neil...

and often.

[NYC_SKP]

52. Honor Neil, sure, but also the tens of thousands of others who made this possible.

Because, to be sure, he didn't and couldn't have done this alone.

I salute everyone involved.

[myrna minx]

53. .

[Historic NY]

54. No problem.....Neil...

[LongTomH]

56. Remember Neil's service to his country and mankind:

He served his country as a navy fighter pilot in the Korean War.

He served as a test pilot at Edwards AFB, where he flew Bell X1-B rocket plane and the legendary X-15.

Neil joined the astronaut corps in 1962, just in time for the Gemini program. His Gemini flights have tended to be overshadowed by his Apollo 11 mission; but, Gemini played a big part in paving the way to the moon. Gemini 8, with Neil as command pilot, was the first orbital rendezvous test; the Gemini spacecraft rendezvoused with an unmanned Agena upper stage.

He and his colleagues spent grueling years preparing for those first steps on the moon. Neil had a close call flying a Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (nicknamed "The Flying Bedstead&quot . The LTTV's controls degraded, causing the vehicle to bank out of control. Neil ejected just in time; later analysis said that, if he had ejected only half a second later, his chute wouldn't have opened in time.

The Apollo 11 moon landing didn't go off that smoothly either. There were computer overflow alarms during the descent. When the LEM approached the lunar surface, Neil saw that they were heading toward a hazardous boulder field. He took control, flying the LEM to a safe landing, with only about 40 seconds of fuel left.

He spent his entire career serving his country and all mankind, including his years teaching future generations of aerospace engineers. After his epochal Apollo 11 flight, he could have gotten rich with TV appearance, books and lecture tours, instead he went into a quiet career in academia, as a professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati.