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Anorak News | Aldrin and Armstrong: what it’s like being one of moon walkers’ children

Aldrin and Armstrong: what it’s like being one of moon walkers’ children

by | 18th, July 2019

rmstrong showing Janet, Mark and Eric Armstrong

Fifty years ago Buzz Aldrin’s son, Andy Aldrin, watched on television in Houston, Texas, as his father stepped onto the moon. So what does you dad do, Andy?

“Mostly, I was worried about him falling over in front of all my classmates,” he tells The Times. “You have to remember I’m an 11-year-old kid and that’s my dad on TV in front of 300 million, 500 million, people — and more importantly, my classmates. So I was scared to death my dad was going to do something to embarrass me. I just remember being worried about my dad screwing up and tripping as he came down the ladder and stepped on the moon. I’m just concerned my dad’s going to do something dumb.”

Do you mention the fact that your dad walked on the moon? Mark Armstrong’s father Neil Armstrong as the first man down the ladder from Apollo 11. “I never volunteered that information because I felt like it hampered the development of genuine relationships with people,” say Mark. “Plenty of times the knowledge of who my dad was changed people’s behaviour towards me and I never wanted that. I wanted to be known on my own merits.”

Image: Neil Armstrong’s wife Janet and sons Mark and Eric Armstrong.



Posted: 18th, July 2019 | In: News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink