On July 20, 1969 Neil Alden Armstrong (Commander) became the first man to walk on
the moon. Descending to the moon surface he said, "That's one small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind." Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin (Lunar Module Pilot) joined him and
they spent two and one-half hours collecting samples, doing experiments and taking
photographs. Michael Collins (Command Module Pilot) orbited above the lunar surface in
the Columbia spacecraft.
On July 24, 1969 the three astronauts returned to Earth. After being released from a
21-day quarantine, they embarked on another journey. The celebrations began in New York
City on August 14, 1969 with a massive tickertape parade along the "Canyon of Heroes,"
Broadway and Park Avenue to City Hall and United Nations headquarters.
The US victory lap continued westward with a huge party with President Nixon and many
Hollywood stars at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles CA. President Richard Nixon
authorized their use of the presidential aircraft (Boeing VC-137B - modified 707, tail
number 86970) for this round-the-world astronaut Goodwill Tour designated as "Project
Giantstep" and dubbed the "Giant Leap" tour.
From September 29 through November 5, 1969 the astronauts and their wives made
landings in 24 worldwide cities with mostly overnight visits. At least 100 million people
saw the space crew and as many as 25,000 shook their hands including Pope Paul VI.
"Air Force One" is the air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force
aircraft carrying the President of the United States. Colonel Ralph Albertazzie was the
Aircraft Commander of President Nixon's Boeing VC-137B and Lieutenant Colonel Carl A Peden
was second in Command. For the first leg of this Astronaut Goodwill RTW Tour, Lt Col Peden
was the Aircraft Commander with Major David H Shaw and Major Lester C McClelland as
co-pilots.
The "Giant Leap" 37 day round-the-world flight tour ended with an overnight stay at
the Nixon White House. Shortly thereafter Armstrong set off again, this time as a special
guest on Bob Hope's 1969 USO tour with stops in Germany, Italy, Turkey, Taiwan, Guam and
Thailand as well as Vietnam.
Itinerary:
Departed Washington DC 09/29/69
01 Mexico City, Mexico 09/29-30/69
02 Bogota, Columbia 09/30-10/01/69
Brasilia 10/01/69
03 Buenos Aires, Argentina 10/01-02/69
04 Rio de Janeio, Brazil 10/02-04/69
05 Las Palmas, Canary Islands 10/04-06/69
06 Madrid, Spain 10/06-08/69
07 Paris, France 10/08-09/69
08 Amsterdam, Netherlands 10/09/69
09 Brussels, Belgium 10/09-10/69
10 Oslo, Norway 10/10-12/69
11 Bonn, Germany 10/12/69
West Berlin, Germany 10/12-14/69
12 London, England 10/14-15/69
13 Rome, Italy 10/15-18/69
Vatican 10/16/69
14 Belgrade, Yugoslavia 10/18-20/69
15 Ankara, Turkey 10/20-22/69
16 Kinshasa, Zaire 10/22-24/69
17 Bombay, India 10/24-25/69
18 Dacca, Bangladesh 10/25-26/69
19 Bangkok, Thailand 10/26-28/69
20 Tehran, Iran 10/28-31/69
Perth, Australia 10/31/69
21 Sydney, Australia 10/31-11/02/69
22 Agana, Guam 11/02-03/69
23 Seoul, South Korea 11/03-04/69
24 Tokyo, Japan 11/04-05/69
Elmendorf AFB Alaska 11/05/69
Arrived Washington DC 11/05/69
Crew for first half of the World Tour (from Washington DC to Rome):
Lt Col Carl A Peden, Aircraft Commander
Maj David H Shaw, co-pilot
Maj Lester C McClelland, co-pilot
Capt Adolph C Zerumsky, Navigator
S/Sgt Walter Battic, Guard
M/Sgt James H Brown, Steward
S/Sgt Larry N Coleman, Guard
S/Sgt Errol E Devore, Guard
M/Sg William W Gibbs Jr, Flight Engineer
T/Sgt John R Jester, Guard
M/Sgt Larry L Kerns, Flight Engineer
M/Sgt Robert A Koehler, Radio Operator
S/Sgt Eugene L Munger, Steward
S/Sgt George R Phillips, Guard
M/Sgt Robert A Rouse, Steward
M/Sgt Darrell F Skinner, Radio Operator
M/Sgt Buddie L Vise, Steward
M/Sgt Doyle G Whitehead, Steward
Additional Crew for second half of the World Tour (from Rome to Washington DC):
Maj Kenneth L Cox, Aircraft Commander
Maj Frank O Pusey, Aircraft Commander
Maj Robert W Pollard, Aircraft Commander
Maj Donald F McKeown, Navigator
M/Sgt William A Scholl, Flight Engineer
M/Sgt Donald E Caton, Flight Engineer
Passengers on the World Tour:
Neil A Armstrong & wife, Janet
Michael Collins & wife, Patricia
Edwin E "Buzz" Aldrin Jr & wife, Joan
Support personnel:
Howard G Allaway, Public Affairs Office, Office of Manned Space Flight, NASA
Geneva B Barnes, Secretary to Director, Public Events Division, Office of Public Affairs, NASA
Simon E Bourgin, Science Advisor, US Information Agency (USIA), Office of Policy and Plans
Dr William R Carpentier, Flight Support Officer for Apollo Preventive Medicine Office, NASA
Joan Carroll, Secretary to the Assistant Chief of Protocol, Department of State
William Der Bing, Deputy Chief, Special Events Office, Manned Spacecraft Center, NASA
Robert B Flanagan, Senior Security Specialist, NASA
Richard Friedman, Information Officer for International Affairs, NASA
Joseph Kidwell, Protocol Assistant, Office of Public Affairs, NASA
Charles G Maguire, Staff Assistant to Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations, Department of State
L Nicholas Ruwe, Assistant Chief of Protocol, Department of State
Wade St Clair, Director, Public Events Division, Office of Public Affairs, NASA
Julian Scheer, Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs, NASA
Elton Stepherson Jr, Special Assistant to the Area Director for the Near East and South Asia, USIA
William P Taub, Visual Information Officer, Office of Public Affairs, NASA
Herbert Oldenbeg, Department of State
Thoreau Willat, Voice of America
Edward S Hickey, Voice of America
Enrique Gonzales-Reguerra, Voice of America
Petro Luis Kattah, Voice of America