Neil Armstrong...NASA astronaut and Wapakoneta native...has died. Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta in 1930. He spent much of his childhood in his parents basement building model rockets. He earned his pilot's license at 16, and was flying combat missions over Korea just four years later.
After the service, he flew everything from gliders to supersonic jets as a test pilot for the agency that would become NASA. In 19-62, the space agency started training Armstrong to be an astronaut, launching a career that would take him where no man had ever been before... The moon. Armstrong's death is being felt across the country... But especially in Wapakoneta... His home town.
We caught up with some of his oldest friends as they remember the famous astronaut. Astronaut Neil Armstrong's death came as a surprise to Kenny and Doris Weber. They grew up in wapakoneta with Armstrong...
In fact... Kenny and Armstrong used to fly together.but little did the Weber know...Armstrong would use those skills he learned flying around the skies of Wapakoneta to launch him to the moon.
After taking arguably the most famous steps ever...The city of Wapakoneta decided to honor the astronaut by breaking ground in 1970 on the Armstrong Air and Space Museum. Many of Armstrong's personal items are now on display in the museum... Which took on a very somber tone today after hearing of the 82 year old's passing Becky Huelskamp laid a flower outside the museum after hearing of Armstrong's death.
Despite all of his success...Armstrong never forgot his roots. Or his friends.just last month he was in town for his class reunion. The Webers say they're glad they got to see their friend and classmate one last time.
The Armstrong Air and Space Museum says it will probably have some sort of memorial for Armstrong, but hasn't made any plans yet.
