T.O. man helped make Apollo 11 happen

The Saturn V rocket carrying the Apollo 11 crew launches from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969. Fred Cordia was launch operations electrical supervisor for the rocket's second stage.

Jon Cordia said his father was elated to be part of the Apollo 11 moon launch. This moonwalk photo is from Fred Cordia's personal collection.

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descends steps of the lunar module ladder as he prepares to walk on the moon July 20, 1969. He had just egressed the lunar module. This picture was taken by astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, with a 70mm surface camera during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity.

This patch commemorates Fred Cordia's service on the Apollo 11 moon launch.

Fred Cordia, left, met his wife of 47 years, Joann, at the Kennedy Space Center. Cordia died suddenly on July 12.

This is the jacket Fred Cordia wore to many of the Apollo space program launches. He witnessed seven, starting with Apollo 11.

For his work in the Apollo program, Fred Cordia was given a medallion that contains medal from a Saturn V launch tower.

Fred Cordia, an electrical engineer who was part of the Apollo 11 launch, was interviewed for two books on the mission.

Ronnald Bodemeijer, of the Santa Rosa Valley, worked on the engines of the Saturn V rocket that carried Apollo 11.