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Buzz Aldrin

Colonel (Ret.) Buzz Aldrin is a 21 year Air Force veteran who served as a jet pilot and is best known as the second astronaut to walk on the moon.  Aldrin graduated from West Point in 1951 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering.  He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and served as a jet fighter pilot during the Korean War.  Aldrin flew 66 combat missions while on duty in Korea and shot down two MiG-15 aircraft.  He also flew F-100s as a flight commander at Bitburg, Germany.  In 1963, Aldrin was selected by NASA to become an astronaut.  On July 20, 1969, as the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, Aldrin became the second human being to set foot on the moon, following mission commander Neil Armstrong.  Aldrin retired from active duty in 1972. To this day, Colonel Aldrin has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure America’s continued leadership in human space exploration.