America mourns the passing of Neil Armstrong, who was more than an American “hero,” as he was lionized by President Barack Obama. That’s because “hero”–not unlike, say, “awesome”–has become so devaluated in the lexicon. Touchdown-scoring or homer-hitting athletes are routinely referenced as “heroes.”
But Armstrong, a respected engineer and top test pilot, was more than exceptionally good at what he did. He was exceptionally brave. Successfully pioneering outer space in 1969 was hardly a “given” for the first human to set foot on the moon. He was the focus of world attention and the avatar of America’s can-do ethic.
But he didn’t cash in and succumb to pop-culture idolatry. He had done his job by taking that “one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind.” And by so doing, he had taken his place in the pantheon of human achievement.
We’ll not see his heroic kind again.