Armstrong Neil - Neil Armstrong: a Life of Flight

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For Jo

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Neil Armstrong was an aviator. He flew everything heavier-than-aireven gliders. He never boasted, never lobbied to be the first to walk on the moon, yet it would be difficult to find another who achieved as much in a lifetime.

Once when we were talking about his first step on the lunar surface, I told Neil that I was not normally a jealous person, but for him I would make an exception.

He was never comfortable with fame, hated talking about himself, so how do you write a book about Neil Armstrongs life of flight?

It helps if you are Jay Barbree, a friend and a pilot.

Barbree covered every one of our spaceflights for the NBC networks, all 166, and Neil wrote, Jay Barbree is one of the worlds most experienced space journalists devoted to getting it right, and he does.

This is the story of Neil Armstrong from the time he flew combat missions in the Korean War, flew a rocket plane called the X-15 to the edge of space, saved his Gemini 8 by flying the first emergency return from Earth orbit, and then flew Apollo 11 to the moons Sea of Tranquility. There he made the first footprints on someplace other than Earth.

If you turn the page, I think you will be pleased.

John Glenn

INTRODUCTION

There was a time when Neil Armstrong was the most well-known person in the world. But despite the notoriety, he never used his fame for personal gain. As Brian Williams reported, Neil could have easily owned a chain of moon burger joints. He could have challenged the wealth of a Donald Trump. Instead he remained a private person until he died.

For someone who never considered himself special, everyone else did. The world praised him in all languages, every radio and television spoke his name, and newspapers and magazines everywhere heralded stories about his accomplishments.

In a quiet, critical way the fame annoyed Neil. He considered most of the stories were from the outside looking in. He very much wanted stories written from the inside, giving credit due others. He wanted not a book about himself, but a book about all flyers and astronautsan interesting, moving, entertaining factual book about those who flew from decks pitching at sea, from runways hacked through jungles, from desert strips, and from snow-laden mountain slopes; those who rode rockets from launchpads to live on orbiting outposts; those who rode spacecraft to the moon and always found their way back. These were the people who punched holes in the sky, raced moonward, and Neil was convinced any one of them could have flown the same flights he did.

He regarded Tom Wolfes The Right Stuff a great yarn and good filmmaking, but terrible history: the wrong people working on the wrong projects at the wrong times, a project that bore no resemblance whatever to what was actually going on. Neil said, What else could you expect written by one who never got closer to spaceflight than a Manhattan penthouse?

For a half-century, Neil Armstrong lived flight and space travel, and he and I talked about writing a book from the inside. But every time we got close Neil found he was not comfortable writing about himself. He could in no way brag his accomplishments were greater than others and finally, he told me, Jay you write it. Youre a pilot. Youre one of us.

There are only a couple of things I truly know. First, as a pilot I couldnt carry Neil Armstrongs lunch box. Second, I was never going to find a way to drag Neil to a keyboard to write about Neil because he simply marched to his own drummer. He wasnt much for rubbing elbows. He was quiet without being shy with a well thought out fairness in his sense of humor and his brand of justice. By some peoples measurements he was a recluse.

Over the years Neil and I did write together. Not about his notable deeds, but rather about most anything that did not praise Neil Armstrong.

He wrote the introduction to Moon Shot the New York Times bestseller by Alan Shepard, Deke Slayton, and myselfand when he accepted invites before Congress to talk about the state of our space program he often asked for my input.

When Neil; Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame; and Gene Cernan, last to walk on the moon, wrote an op-ed on what they felt should be the future of Americas space program we reported their op-ed on Brian Williamss NBC Nightly News .

One of Neils last projects was writing with me a five-story series called Space in the 20Teens . Five weeks after we finished the project, Neil Armstrong died at the age of 82.

In 2008, NBC News gave me a dinner for 50 years of service and Neil surprised everyone. The quiet man came.

Neil was the keynoter, and following the dinner we pulled up seats at the bar of one of our favorite watering holes from the past, and Neil confessed all the things NASA did to mislead the media during historys first walk on the moon. He and I closed the bar. I wrote the story and was instantly pleased it was read by more than two million.

Neil Armstrongs propensity for getting things right makes it essential we do our best to accurately chronicle this American icons exciting life of flight.

I first met Neil in 1962, and Ive researched every detail of his record-breaking years. I asked, and Neil and those who flew with him answered.

Left to right: Jo Barbree, Jay Barbree, and Neil Armstrong enjoy dinner with Americas first in orbit, John Glenn, who is performing standup comedy out of the picture. (Courtesy of the author)

Neils words in this book are direct quotes by me and others I know to be trustworthy. They are from years of personal e-mails, recorded interviews, 51 years of this reporters notes and filesa voice history as Neil told two NASA historians and transcripts of every word he spoke in space and on the moon.

The primary engine driving this book is accuracy: thats how Neil lived his life. But I will not report to you a single word he told me in confidence. At times I will put myself in Neils shoes to re-create his thoughts just as he conveyed them to me, and just as important, I shall write more in this book about Neil Armstrong than he would have liked.

Panthers launch for attack on North Korean targets. (U.S. Navy)

ONE

A WING AND A PRAYER

At daybreak, pilots came onto the deck of the aircraft carrier Essex . Bundled like schoolchildren on a snow day, they waddled to their jet fighters. One of the first to climb aboard was a young ensign named Neil Armstrong.

His planes captain helped Neil into the cockpithelped him connect his shoulder and lap straps, double-checked his parachute harness, and rechecked his oxygen mask. Last, he made sure Neils life raft and radio were ready to go.

Suddenly, flight deck speakers blared, Prepare to launch aircraft!