A dream of mankind was fulfilled on July 20, 1969 when the lunar module, "Eagle," touched down on the moon's Sea of Tranquillity.  Two American astronauts became the first humans to set foot on another planetary body.  One of these, Buzz Aldrin, was an Air Force officer and pilot of the highest caliber.

He was born in Montclair, New Jersey, the son of an Army colonel who had served as an aide to General Billy Mitchell. After graduating third in the United States Military Academy Class of 1951, Aldrin entered flight training at Bartow, Florida.  Assigned to the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing in December 1952, Lieutenant Aldrin flew 66 combat missions over Korea in the F-86 and achieved 2 aerial victories against MiG-15s.

Aldrin entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for graduate study in 1959 and graduated with a doctorate of science in astronautics.  Following graduate school, he worked in the Gemini Target Office, and was transferred to the Manned Spaceflight Center in Houston, TX to work with NASA on Department of Defense experiments being planned for the Gemini two man space missions. 

He was selected for the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963, and he flew with command pilot Jim Lovell on Gemini 12 in November 1966 - the last of the Gemini missions.  During the flight, Aldrin established a new record for extravehicular activity spending five and one half hours outside the spacecraft. 

In January 1969, he was named to the three man Apollo 11 crew which had been designated for the first lunar landing attempt.  Following a flawless launch and journey to the moon, he and Neil Armstrong spent over two hours walking on the lunar surface before returning to earth.

 After  leaving NASA,  Aldrin  commanded the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base until  his retirement.    He  is the author two books about  the manned space program,    "Return   to Earth" (1974) and "Men From Earth" (1989).