Fifty years and one day after John F. Kennedy vowed to send an American to the moon, the nation said farewell to Neil Armstrong, the man who ultimately embodied that vision and endured as a symbol of patriotic ingenuity.

“He became a testament, a testament to all Americans of what can be achieved through vision and dedication,” said retired astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last person to walk on the lunar surface. “Fate looked down kindly on us when she chose Neil to be the first to venture to another world.”