Mike Collins wasn't only a great aviator and astronaut and advocate for spaceflight and aerospace, although he was all those things, but also more basically, he embodied the good guy, the "glue man," without whom so much just couldn't get done, in space and otherwise

In a culture of so-called hustle and self-described Alphas and bro nonsense all the time everywhere, these kinds of contributions don't get much attention. And if he had been a different guy, Collins could have struggled or been ridiculous making 11 all about him

It was Mike who had to fly TD&E to get 11 squared away for its approach and landing, and it was Mike who had be there to recover Neil and Buzz (who couldn't do more than ascend) and Mike who had to be alone and contemplate coming back by himself if Neil crashed or etc

But Mike managed to be great and indispensable but also a human being and cool about the whole situation, y'know. That wasn't true about all of his co-spacefarers in that era or this one, and remarkable as anything else about the good old days

Mike Collins: Also unusual in demonstrating that it was possible to be a great aerospace pioneer after overcoming the obstacle of not being born in Ohio