Buzz Aldrin 2004, and campaigned for Nick Lampson in Texas in 2006, Paul Rancatore in Florida in 2008, Mark Treadwell in Alaska in 2014, and Dan Crenshaw in Texas in 2018. Following the 2012 death of his Apollo 11 colleague, Neil Armstrong, Aldrin said that he was "deeply saddened by the passing. I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew. I had truly hoped that on July 20th, 2019, Neil, Mike and I would be standing together to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of our moon
Buzz Aldrin in their honor in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. An official state dinner that evening in Los Angeles celebrated the flight. President Richard Nixon honored each of them with a presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This was the beginning of a 45-day "Giant Leap" tour that brought the astronauts to 25 foreign countries and included visits with prominent leaders such as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. On September 16, 1969, the astronauts addressed a joint session of Congress. With the Apollo Program coming to an end, Aldrin saw few prospects at NASA, and decided to