Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/546222
July 20 - August 10, 2015 19 Working World l WorkingWorld.com K.: Did meeting him make you want to be an astronaut? I read somewhere that you had tried to get on the 1986 Challenger flight that blew up not long after takeoff. F.: True. I had always wanted to be an astronaut, and when civilian teacher Christa McAuliffe was going to be on- board the Challenger, I thought I might have a chance to become part of the crew. In the planning stages of the flight, I went to Kodak and got an executive there to back the idea of sponsoring me as 'the first photographer in space.' Eventually, though, the higher-ups at Kodak turned down the proposal, and instead of being on that flight, I ended up covering the aftermath of the tragedy for Newsweek Magazine. K.: Was there a defining moment that made you and Neil Armstrong close friends? F.: It was more like a gradual process. In the beginning we would occasionally email each other, and then the emails never stopped for 20 years. But there was a special day that stood out - Neil pleasantly shocked me when he wrote, "I think it's time I met your son. I'm flying down and taking the two of you to lunch." I couldn't believe it. I must have reread it a couple of times to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks! A few weeks before that email, Neil had been encouraging me to take my son to a launch of the shuttle at Cape Kennedy in Florida. I took his advice and my son and I flew down from New York and watched the last night launch of the shuttle. It's an amazing experience to watch a launch. From three miles away we could feel the Earth trembling beneath our feet as the rocket lifted. Not long after, Neil flew down and met my son and I at a restaurant on the upper eastside of Manhattan for brunch. K.: Your son must have loved that. F.: He did, but when he told his friends about it they thought he was hallucinating! K.: Did Armstrong and you often talk about his walk on the Moon? F.: For the most part we avoided talk of space. That's what everyone else talked with him about. We kept our conversations personal or about things like sports. For example, he followed the teams at Purdue, his alma mater. K.: What were some of Armstrong's personality traits? F.: Low-key, earnest, humble, honest, good eye contact, focused, and dedicated to excellence. K.: Tell us about a time you two had a disagreement, if any, and how you two overcame it to remain good friends. F.: Nothing like that ever came up. There was only a friendly rivalry in sports – how his school, Purdue, did compared to mine – the University of Maryland. K.: Did you ever get any insight from Armstrong about the 1969 flight to the Moon that not many people know about? F.: When my son and I had lunch with Neil, he told my son that as the Apollo 11 rocket was lifting off, the crew had expected to be communicating with the control room, but the noise was louder than expected and no one could hear anything! K.: Neil was known as the 'Greta Garbo of the astronauts in that he was extremely private. Why do you think he opened up to you? F.: Once, and only once, he asked about keeping his personal life private, and I assured him, 'That's the way it is now, and that's the way it will always be.' Neil patted me on the back and said, 'I know that's the case, and I'm sorry I had to ask.' It never came up again. I think we remained such good friends because of the mutual trust. K.: What was a passion he had besides space? F.: He loved to fly. Instead of taking commercial flights, Neil and his wife Carol used to take a small plane and fly to vacation spots. Buzz (Aldrin) described Neil as one of the best pilots he ever knew. K.: Can you think of another joy in his life? F.: He loved his grandchildren, and spent quite a bit of time with them. K.: When was the last time you spoke to him before his passing? F.: We had emailed each other about a week before he died in his native Ohio. I told Neil I was temporarily moving to San Diego, and he told me it brought back memories of when he had spent time there when he was about 20. K.: From your knowledge of Armstrong, how do you remember him? F.: To the world he was the 'first human to walk on the Moon.' But to me, he was one of my best friends, and I miss him. K.: How do you think the world should remember Neil Armstrong? F.: I'd love to see Neil's birthday, August 5th, become a national holiday. He inspired us in so many ways. Neil taught by example - follow your passion, be willing to take risks, dedicate yourself to being your best, be humble…there are so many strengths that he personified. And for the younger generation out there I would say, 'If you're looking for an inspirational role model, you can't do better than to study the life of Neil Armstrong.' Francesco Caprio and Astronaut Neil Armstrong