Neil Armstrong: Schiff Recognizes First Man to Walk on Moon

Americans remembered Neil Armstrong Thursday during his memorial in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Adam Schiff, who currently represents Montrose, La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge, Glendale, Burbank, South Pasadena, Altadena and Pasadena spoke about Armstrong's legacy in a speech on Tuesday: 

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a true American hero, the first human being to walk on the moon, Neil Alden Armstrong. I had the privilege of meeting Neil Armstrong, and introducing my son Eli to him at an event commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing.  

“It has been said that ‘we’re all dreamers,’ but Neil Armstrong inspired generations of Americans to dream big and reach for the stars, both literally and figuratively.  He believed that the yearning to explore is part of what makes us human and his singular achievement on July 20, 1969 still inspires.

“A reluctant hero, Mr. Armstrong never used his Apollo 11 achievement for personal gain. On more than one occasion he questioned his own notoriety, protesting that his walk on the moon was the result of the dedication of more than four hundred thousand people from engineers who designed the Lunar Module to ground controllers who monitored every aspect of the mission, to seamstresses, who stitched by hand  the suit that kept him alive on the moon.

“The late 1960’s was a time of tumult in America, when our nation was riven by Vietnam, the struggle for civil rights and the emerging women’s movement.  In the midst of this,  Armstrong’s climb down the lunar module’s ladder and his “giant leap for mankind” united not just Americans, but people of all nations as they watched.

“That night countless children looked up at the moon and dared to dream.”