Aircraft Carrier, Now A Museum, Was The Primary Apollo 11 Recovery Ship

In a prepared statement, the staff and volunteers of the USS Hornet Museum said they were saddened to learn of the passing of Neil Armstrong. "We offer our deepest condolences to his family and the communities he served so well."

The aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CVS-12), under the command of Captain C.J. Seiberlich, was the primary recovery ship for the epic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. The recovery of spacecraft and flight crew was performed flawlessly on July 24, 1969 several hundred miles southwest of Honolulu. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins took their first steps back on earth aboard the ship as they walked across the hangar bay to enter the NASA quarantine trailer and were greeted by President Richard Nixon.

Because of this intimate connection to legendary space exploration history, the Hornet, a decorated WWII veteran, was later designated a National Historical Landmark and eventually became a floating museum in Alameda, CA.

Armstrong's contributions to the Hornet Museum continued into recent years. In the statement, the museum said he was a general advisor and contributor to the 2009 book Hornet Plus Three: The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery, written by Hornet Museum Trustee Bob Fish in 2009. “Neil was very gracious with his time, adding valuable perspective to the reentry and splashdown aspects of the Apollo 11 spaceflight,” said Fish. “He also contributed a cover blurb to the book, for which I am very grateful.”

Fish continues, “My fondest memory stems from the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony held on November 16, 2011 at the U.S. Capitol. Shortly after Neil had accepted his medal and gave a few public remarks, there was a small gathering in one of the Caucus rooms. A representative group of Navy and NASA Apollo 11 recovery personnel had been invited to attend the ceremony. I attended as a representative of the Hornet Museum and author of the recovery book. Neil was very enthusiastic when he saw 8 comrades associated with that 42-year old event. He took several minutes away from the politicians and powerbrokers of America to chat privately with us and get some photos taken. I felt honored to have a chance to interact with him on a personal level since he was an icon of my generation. Both the earth and the moon are much better places for Neil Armstrong having graced them with his presence.”

Photo: Cannon Caucus Room, Nov 16, 2011. Representatives of the Apollo 11 Recovery Team. Provided by Hornet Museum)

FMI: www.uss-hornet.org