U.S. Air Force Lt. Buzz Aldrin sits in the cockpit of an F-86E Sabre after shooting down an enemy MiG 15 fighter during the Korean War in 1953.

Sixteen years before he walked on the Moon, Lt. Buzz Aldrin was valiantly serving our country in wartime. Fifty years ago today, he was one of three astronauts aboard Apollo 11 as it began its historic journey to the Moon. We honor this American hero as this weekend’s 50th anniversary of the lunar landing approaches.