Neil Armstrong Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who was the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. A graduate of Purdue University, Armstrong studied aeronautical engineering with his college tuition paid for by the U.S. Navy under the Holloway Plan. He became a midshipman in 1949, and a naval aviator the following year. He saw action in the Korean War, flying the Grumman F9F Panther from the aircraft carrier . In September 1951, he was hit by
Spence M. Armstrong Force Base. After two years in flight test, Armstrong prepared for a combat tour in Southeast Asia by completing F-105 combat crew training at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. He was assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron based at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand where he flew 100 combat missions in the F-105. In July 1968, Armstrong returned to flight test as an instructor and later as the deputy commandant at the Aerospace Research Pilot School. In August 1971, Armstrong attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama and graduated in May 1972. After a