MONTCLAIR -- He traveled to the moon and back, one of the first two men ever to accomplish a feat long considered the domain of myth or science fiction.
Friday in Montclair, Buzz Aldrin looked at the middle school he once attended -- freshly renamed in his honor -- and saw a launching pad for his place in history.
"My time at Mount Hebron was a very special time. I entered the seventh grade, and it led to the maturing ... the competitive spirit and desire to win," said the Apollo 11 astronaut of his school, with hundreds of onlookers gathered for the rechristening.
Aldrin jokingly admitted that he had spent some time "monkeying around" in school before finding a serious desire to become a aviation test pilot and then a U.S. Navy pilot.
"Maybe I goofed off a little, maybe I had become aware of girls," he said, with a chuckle.
But, he said his time at Mount Hebron prepared and helped him develop his ambition to strive for monumental feats.
He wore a space suit when he walked on the moon with Neil Armstrong in July 1969, captivating the world. On Friday, the 86-year-old Aldrin wore a grayish-blue suit, sunglasses, and a variety of golden rings on his fingers, and bracelets on his wrists.
The crowd cheered and applauded, proud to have its native Montclair hero return.
Susan Shurr and her husband, Vincent, who live a short distance from the middle school, bore beaming smiles as they witnessed an exciting moment for the township.
"We've lived in town for 18 years, just a couple blocks away -- how could we not participate in this?" she said. "It's Buzz Aldrin. It's a good thing for the community."
That excitement extended to top federal, state and local officials who were there.
Paul J. Fishman, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, spoke before the crowd.
Fishman said his job affords him many thrills, but meeting Aldrin was something he'd never forget.
"We deal with terrorists, gangs, people who steal millions of dollars," Fishman said, "but this is the coolest thing I have ever done."
Aldrin has been a staunch and vocal advocate for humankind to take its next interplanetary leap -- colonizing Mars. He has repeatedly called for an international partnership to colonize the Red Planet, which he is confident will happen sometime within the next 30 years.
Buzz Aldrin Middle School will retain its theme as a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) magnet school.
Focusing on STEM education -- to invigorate and inspire the young minds to take space exploration to the outer limits -- is another passion of Aldrin's.
Aldrin was born in Montclair in 1930, and is no stranger to the township, often returning to visit.
He was scheduled to visit Hackensack UMC Mountainside Hospital, his birthplace, later on Friday.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.