President Barack Obama speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the White House, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012, in Washington. Obama talked about the presidential race and Republican challenger Mitt Romney in the exclusive AP interview before heading off to a long weekend with his family at Camp David, the secluded presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains. His comments come ahead of the GOP convention opening Aug. 27, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
August 25, 2012 - 5:06 PM
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is hailing the late astronaut Neil Armstrong as one of America's greatest heroes.
The first man to walk on the moon, Armstrong died Saturday at the age of 82.
In a statement issued by the White House, Obama said Armstrong and the rest of the crew of Apollo 11 carried with them the aspirations of an entire nation when they set out for the moon in 1969.
The president says that when Armstrong set foot on the moon, he delivered what he called "a moment of human achievement that will never be forgotten."
News from © The Associated Press, 2012