Clan Armstrong: The First Clan on the Moon

Neil Armstrong was born on the 5th August 1930, his family was of German, Scottish and Scots-Irish ancestry. From a young Age he had a love for flying and as a young teenager he took flying lessons, earning a student flight certificate on this 16th birthday. A year later he started studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University. His university fees were paid for by the US Navy as part of the Holloway Plan which meant he committed to studying for two years before undertaking two years of flight training, followed by a year of service in the Navy, returning to then complete the final two years of his degree.

After graduating, Neil Armstrong became an experimental research test pilot. During his career he was selected for the US Air Force's Man In Space Soonest program in 1958, however in the same year the funding was cancelled and was replaced by Project Mercury. Selection for this project was restricted to military test pilots and Armstrong was ineligible as a civilian test pilot.

In 1962 Project Gemini was launched and this time selection was open to qualified civilian test pilots. After three years Armstrong was announced as commander for the backup crew of Gemini 5. The mission was generally successful, despite a problem with the fuel cells. Armstrong transferred to astronaut status in 1962 and was assigned as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission. Gemini 8 was launched on March 16, 1966, and Armstrong performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. His final role in the Gemini programme was as the back-up Command Pilot for Gemini 11.

With his extensive experience from the Gemini Project, Neil Armstrong was selected as the backup commander for the Apollo 8 mission in 1968 and during Apollo 8's orbit of the moon on December 23rd, Armstrong was offered the position of Commander of Apollo 11. The crew was publicly announced on January 9 by March it had been decided that Armstrong would be the first person to walk on the moon, it's said NASAchose Armstrong for this honour as he didn't have a large ego.

On July 21st 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, Armstrong descended the ladder and said..."I'm going to step off the LM now", he turned and set his left boot on the lunar surface before uttering the famous line... "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Following Apollo 11, Armstrong announced that he did not plan to fly in space again, officially retiring from NASAin 1971. Armstrong went on to teach within the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. In addition to his teaching career he acted as a spokesman for several American businesses.

On the night of the Moon Landing, Ted and Judy Armstrong set out on their very own mission to revive the Armstrong Clan. Their main objective was to purchase the former Clan land including both Gilnockie& Mangerton Towers with the view to restore the towers as a focal point for Clan members worldwide. They were successful in their mission and today Gilnockie Tower is a dedicated ReiverCentre celebrating the history of the Armstrong Clan, and fellow Reivingclans, Elliot, Little & Scott.

During the Apollo 11 mission, Eddie Armstrong, Langholm Town Clerk, wrote to Neil to invite him to become the town's first and only Freeman. This honour was essentially the same being awarded the Keys or Freedom of a City. On Saturday March 11th 1972, Neil Armstrong accepted this invitation and visited the home lands of his Clan in Langholm, Scotland. The visit drew much attention within the area and understandably everyone wanted to attend. The largest building within the town was the local Parish Church, but this wasn't large enough to hold everyone so difficult decisions had to be made in confirming the guest list.

“My pleasure is not just at the honour accorded me in this the land of Johnnie of Gilnockie, but as the genuine feeling I have among those hills, and more particularly among
these people. Thank you for this great honour. It is said that the most difficult place to be recognised is one’s home town; and I consider this now my home town”.

To celebrate the visit a new bagpipe tune "Commander Neil Armstrong’s Moon-step" was written and performed by the Langholm Pipe Band. In addition to the new song a tartan was commissioned with colour choices influenced by Armstrong'sjourney in space. Black, brown and grey were taken from the lunar rock brought back to earth, and the red was for the Apollo rocket flame. The tartan was extremely popular at the time and it's said that many hundreds of kilts and ties were made in it as well as three specially produced mohair stoles, one of which was presented to Neil Armstrong's wife.

Neil Armstrong's visit to Langholm is still a very important part of the town's history and an even stronger part of Clan Armstrong's history having sparked the revival of the clan and the birth of the Armstrong Clan Association.

Between Friday 19 & Sunday 21 July 2019 the clan will celebrate it's Golden Jubilee. The main venue for the celebrations will be the Sure Hotel in Lockerbie, where a Dinner will be held in addition to an informal gathering on the Friday evening. As part of the Clan's gathering Gilnockie Tower and the town of Langholm, will hold a series of events to commemorate the life of Neil Armstrong.