Celebrating The 40th Anniversary Of The Apollo 11 Mission

Floor Speech

Celebrating The 40th Anniversary Of The Apollo 11 Mission

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and, notably, the commander of that crew, Neil Armstrong, as the first person to set foot on the Moon. President John F. Kennedy told a joint session of Congress in 1961: ``I believe that this Nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.''

That goal was achieved nearly 8 years later on July 20, 1969, by Ohio's own Neil Armstrong, along with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Tonight I honor Neil and the men and women who worked tirelessly to make Apollo 11 a success. I, as a child, was mesmerized by Apollo 11's mission. I was one of the hundreds of millions who watched on television as Neil Armstrong took that historic step on the Moon.

Landing on the Moon wasn't just an American event. It was a proud and historic event for all mankind. In the wake of this incredible accomplishment, Neil Armstrong has received many, many awards. Most notably, he received the highest award offered to U.S. civilians, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Neil has undertaken several endeavors since that walk on the Moon, and I am especially proud of one professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati, my alma mater. I am extremely proud to call Neil one of my constituents.

Madam Speaker, let me leave you with the quote that has become the core of our American history: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'' Thank you, Neil Armstrong, for taking that giant leap; and thank you to everyone who made Apollo 11 a success. Forty years later we ponder its magnitude.

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