BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — We are fast approaching the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first men on the moon.

• John Wolfram helped recover Apollo 11 crew, capsule
• At the time, Wolfram was a Navy Seal
• Became 1st person crew saw after "giant leap for mankind"
• More space coverage

Thousands worked to make the historic mission possible, but one man had the chance to make his own "first" five decades ago.

"How can you forget a moment like that?" John Wolfram told Spectrum News. "I was 20 years old, two years out of high school".

At that young age, Wolfram found himself immersed in one of the greatest events in human history.

NASA's Apollo 11 mission was complete.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.

Wolfram was a Navy Seal, a "Frogman," assigned to the recovery of the crew and capsule after it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean four days later.

History was made, but for him, it marked a piece of his own personal lore.

"I knew it was going to be an amazing moment, and I knew it was going to be an honor to be the first guy the astronauts saw when they came back from the moon," Wolfram said. "It was humbling for them to look at my face, the first human they saw."

Moments after jumping in the ocean, he got on the capsule, looked in the window and saw the three astronauts give a thumbs up.

And with that, he became the first person the crew saw after the "Giant Leap for Mankind."

"We wanted to make sure they got onto that raft, and get them aboard the helicopter so they could be safe and sound on the USS Hornet," he said.

Wolfram still has the bag that contained the "sea anchor," which was attached to the capsule to stabilize it in the ocean currents.

He says he is honored with being named one of the "20 people who made Apollo happen" by Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine.

He also served two tours in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart after being wounded in battle.

Decades later the 70-year-old is a motivational speaker, who speaks fondly of his destiny with space history.

"When I was standing in that hatch door, I knew that the world would be watching," Wolfram reflected.

Wolfram will be speaking at the 1st Pentacostal Church in Palm Bay Sunday, July 7.

The public is welcome to attend the 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. services.