WAPAKONETA — Lt. Gen. James A. Abrahamson, chairman of the Board of Directors for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), United States Air Force, retired, toured the Armstrong Air and Space Museum Thursday.
Abrahamson has agreed to be a member of the leadership team for the national campaign to fund the proposed expansion and upgrades to the museum for the 50th moon landing anniversary on July 2019.
“I think to have in a key leadership position for the campaign someone of Gen. Abrahamson’s stature and his contributions, both to the state’s program and national defense, it just really speaks to the importance of the story told here and also to the to importance of the capitol campaign,” said Burt Logan, executive director and CEO of Ohio History Connection, a non-profit organization that manages the Armstrong museum and other sites throughout Ohio. “We’re thrilled that he’s willing to donate his time, his expertise, his insights.”
Abrahamson’s military career began in Vietnam, where he served as a fighter pilot. In 1981 he was assigned as an associated administrator for Space Flight. He oversaw continued development of the space shuttle and other rockets. In 1984 President Reagan requested Abrahamson to be the first director of the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as the “Star Wars Program.”
“The first Martian is alive today,” Abrahamson said. “And that first Martian is somewhere among, maybe in the group visiting this, and we don’t know them. They need to get the influence of this kind of establishment for teaching. Again, not history but inspiring for the future. That’s what happened to Neil Armstrong growing up in this area.”
After the upgrades and addition onto the modern space program room are complete, the museum will not just be a better building but a better learning institution, he said. Abrahamson said, he would like to see the museum modernized too so more electronic things would be utilized in the museum.
At CASIS they have a program for middle school student where they learn about robotics and computer program and compete controlling robots, he said.
Rick Armstrong, Neil Armstrong’s son, stopped by the museum while Abrahamson was touring and speaking with visiting school children. Abrahamson presented Armstrong with a framed poem. The poem was about Armstrong’s father and the space program.
Armstrong declined to be interviewed.
Lt. Gen. James Abrahamson, United State Air Force, retired, photographs the Armstrong Air and Space Museum Executive Director, Christopher Burton, in front of the space exploration timeline in the museum entrance during his visit Thursday. Abrahamson has joined the museum leadership team to assist in the national fund raising campaign to finance the addition and upgrades slated for completion in July, 2019, in time for the moon landing 50th anniversary.
