BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The valedictorian of Buzz Aldrin’s Montclair High School Class of 1947 knew a future space traveler when he saw one.

New Jersey native Aldrin came back home last weekend as he was awarded Montclair’s first ever keys to the city.

Montclair Patch reported that the valedictorian left a message in Aldrin’s 1947 yearbook writing: “Rockets to the moon. I’ll build them, you fly them.” Aldrin said, "My hometown opened opportunities for me. If I could turn this key I would try and open up opportunities for all you young kids also."

According to NorthJersey.com, Montclair Mayor Robert Jackson said, "A small token to a native son of Montclair, a giant expression of awe, gratitude, and love to an American hero." Aldrin also received a plaque at the entrance to the school, the Montclair Mounties' 1946 state championship football trophy, and a Boy Scout Troop 12 neckerchief.

Aldrin, 83, was born January 20, 1930, in Montclair. He was a fighter pilot in the Korean War. According to biography.com, in 1969 he and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission, the first two humans to ever walk on another planet.

Buzz Aldrin was also in town promoting his new book, “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration,” released in May. According to Amazon, in his book, Aldrin relates his own vision for taking humans to Mars by 2035.

Aldrin suggested that the United States was not likely to make a commitment to travel to Mars in the next couple of years, but had his own idea. “How about the 50th anniversary of this country's landing on the moon?” he asked, according to NorthJersey.com.