In July 1969, 21-year-old Bob Wayne was a camera operator for WIMA TV in Lima, Ohio, when his boss assigned him to camp outside the home of Stephen and Viola Armstrong in Wapakoneta. Their son, Neil Armstrong, was about to become the first human on the moon.
A Lemonade Break Amid History
On a muggy day, Viola Armstrong stepped outside with a tray of lemonade glasses for the reporters. 'Viola didn’t know whether she would ever see her son again, and yet she was still concerned about the total strangers who were outside working around her house,' Bob told Metro. 'That explained to me how he became the man that he was.'
NASA Protocol Officer Supported the Family
Meanwhile, Walter Fruland, a NASA protocol officer, was assigned to support Neil’s wife, Janet, and their two sons in El Lago, Texas. His cousin Gary, from Newark, Illinois, recounted that Walter lived with them during the mission. 'He was the only one allowed in their house,' Gary said. 'His reputation, confidence, caring ways and knowledge with other astronauts’ families in prior NASA launches were why the Armstrong family and NASA selected him.'
Gary recalled the boys watching 'goggle-eyed' as the Eagle module landed. 'Neil and Janet’s boys were so excited about their dad but too young to realise what the immensity of the moment meant to humanity.'
Quarantine and a Calm Presence
After the astronauts returned, they spent two weeks in quarantine. NASA asked Walter to stay with the family until Neil came home. 'Walter told me that Neil was a man of few words but a tremendously talented airman,' Gary said. 'Neil was comfortable with him because Walter was calm and kind... He was the calm before the storm.'
A Lasting Memory
In 1972, Bob gave friends from Germany a tour of Wapakoneta, showing them the Armstrong Museum. At a restaurant, they encountered Viola again. Bob later sent her a clipping of his article about working on the Armstrongs’ porch. To his surprise, she replied with a handwritten card: 'I remember you, you seemed like a fine young gentleman, and you wrote a very nice article. I shall keep it always.'
These stories emerged after MyHeritage encouraged Americans to share family tales tied to the country’s 250-year history. 'The moon landing is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century,' said Roi Mandel, MyHeritage’s head of research. 'And the beauty here is that we captured two completely different family perspectives of the same event.'
