Our editorial board had just decided to weigh in on false heroes, on the dangers of building up that pedestal for someone unworthy, someone bound to let us down.

And then Neil Armstrong died.

In the shadow of that sort of greatness, that other “hero,” that other Armstrong , the bicyclist, is barely worth a mention. Let the record show merely that he conceded.

And let us focus instead on the real hero, the man of integrity and courage and honor, whose many acts of valor and accomplishment were never done with the goal of making a name for himself.

Neil Armstrong wasn’t aiming to be the fastest, the strongest, the one with the most titles. And yet, this man of science, this pilot and adventurer will forever be the “first,” that man who set his big boot onto an unearthly surface.

Let’s not forget, though, that Armstrong was a soldier and a patriot and a hero long before America’s space program came along. By the age of 22, he had already come through the Korean War, a veteran pilot of 78 combat missions. After the war, he became a test pilot and was a natural for NASA’s first group of astronauts, the crew noted for having “The Right Stuff.”

As the earlier missions came and went, and the time approached for the first moon landing, the competition to place that first footstep was fierce. But Armstrong ‘s own Apollo 11 comrade, Mike Collins, said he could not question the selection:

“I can’t offhand think of a better choice to be the first man on the moon.”

Collins, who was left to hover over the moon as Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the historic landing, was absolutely right that Armstrong had earned the privilege. But Collins also knew that Armstrong was a humble man, not given to self-aggrandizement.

That remained the case long after Armstrong had left NASA and the limelight. When he made a rare public-speaking appearance in 2005 in Gettysburg, Armstrong told organizers in advance that he would sign no autographs, because he didn’t want them being sold on the Internet.

In an age of undeserving heroes and no-accomplishment celebrities, Armstrong never, ever sought to cash in on his historic achievement. He did what he did in the interest of science and learning and exploration; he did it because at that moment in time, that was what his country needed of him.

Let this be at least a part of Neil Armstrong ‘s legacy – that we strive always to crown heroes truly made of the “right stuff” – extraordinary intelligence and curiosity, courage, strength of character and a drive to do what is best for the larger good, not for oneself.

We echo the beautiful sentiments of the family who knew and loved him so well:

“Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.”

It is sublimely fitting that Neil Armstrong will be laid to rest today, on a day when a “blue moon” will grace the night sky.

He was, after all, a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of hero.

Written by Wanda Murren, Editorial Page Editor