It was a mechanical wonder. A marvelous moon bug. President John F. Kennedy's race to space was on - and Long Islanders were going the distance.

In 1962, the Grumman Corporation was awarded a contract by NASA to design, assemble and test a spacecraft for the Apollo missions, that would successfully land man on the moon and bring them back safely. Some 9,000 Grumman employees worked day and night to do what no one had done before.

Mike Lisa, Al Contessa and Ross Bracco, who volunteer at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, were among the Grumman employees who with their grit, can-do spirit and problem solving, accomplished what is considered mankind's greatest achievement.

On July 20, 1969, along with the world, thousands of Long Islanders held their breath as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.