'Urban Legend, My Toosh!' Says Former Neighbor

We've all heard the story about astronaut Neil Armstrong's childhood neighbor, Elmer Gorski, but for those who haven't, it goes like this:

A pre-teen Neil Armstrong was pulling weeds along the side of his house one summer's evening, and his neighbors, the Gorskis, were in their bedroom. The window was open (those being the days before universal air conditioning), and Neil heard snippets of some bedroom conversation.

Being curious as well as young, Neil heard some things he didn't understand until later. Mr. Gorski had apparently asked Mrs. Gorski for a little of what we know today as, "Bill Clinton;" Mrs. Gorski protested. "When that boy next door walks on the moon!" she told the crestfallen Elmer.

Years passed, and Neil Armstrong forgot about the Gorskis. He had things to do, like flying in Korea and testing stuff for NACA. Anyway, in 1969, Armstrong had a flashback, as he sat in his Apollo capsule with Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, on the way to the moon.

Hours later, Neil Armstrong stepped from the LEM to the dusty, cheesy surface, and said, for all of us to hear, those famous words: "One small step for man -- one giant leap for mankind."

NASA shut off the next part of the transmission, when Armstrong muttered, "Good luck, Mr. Gorski!"

Years passed, and someone got hold of NASA's "secret" tapes, and asked the famous astronaut about that utterance. Armstrong, always the Boy Scout, denied he ever said that -- he even denied that the childhood experience related above had ever taken place.

No one could find any "Elmer Gorski," and, as the years continued to roll, the story of Mr. Gorski and his quest became branded just another urban legend. Until now.

ANN Finds Elmer Gorski

As everyone knows, our ANN News-Spies are everywhere. One of them works in a nursing home, and just happens to know Elmer Gorski and his bride of sixty-three years, Mabel.

In an exclusive ANN interview, the eighty-six-year-old Elmer Gorski told us, "I've played along with that kid [Armstrong] long enough." What did he mean? "I never wanted to hurt him by setting the story straight; but I'm old, and Mabel's given me permission, so here's the truth: It happened just like in the story."

We were amazed. After all, the only one who could confirm such a fable was doing it! "Yup," he continued, "I owe a lot to that kid. The past thirty-three and some odd years have been heaven on Earth for me." Mabel just grinned. "Sometimes," he reminded us, "those long shots pay off."

Armstrong and NASA declined comment.

FMI: www.nasa.gov