WAPAKONETA, Ohio (WLIO) - The Wapakoneta Summer Moon Festival is wrapping up Sunday, and the Armstrong Air and Space Museum invited festival goers to stop by for a day of fun and education.
Outside the museum, families could enjoy a variety of demonstrations, games, and activities, as well as displays and crafts presented by different organizations. The main attractions, however, were found inside the museum, where guests were treated to two special presentations.
For the first time, Gemini VIII recovery pilot Les Schneider appeared at the festival. He spoke about his involvement in the recovery of Gemini 8, astronaut Neil Armstrong’s first space mission.
"Gemini eight was the only space mission that had an emergency in flight. It was brought down in a contingency area in the western Pacific. I was flying a rescue airplane that was sent to locate them and recover and secure them till they could be brought out of the water by the USS Mason," said Les Schneider, Gemini VIII recovery pilot.
"You're getting firsthand accounts of these historic moments from the people that were actually there. So when they're talking about Neil Armstrong, they're doing it from a firsthand perspective. So this is amazing to see the people that were so intimate to history, and they're right there, and you can ask them questions, it's fantastic. I still honestly get kind of emotional listening to the talks and speaking with them as well," said Logan Rex, curator and communications director with the Armstrong Air & Space Museum.
The museum also welcomed back the Apollo 11 Navy Frogmen, who returned by popular demand to share stories from their recovery work during the Apollo 11 mission.
