Gregory Korte

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — President Obama met with surviving members of the Apollo 11 crew at the White House Tuesday morning to commemorate the 45th anniversary of their visit to the moon.

Obama met in the Oval Office with astronauts Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, and Carol Armstrong, the widow of Neil Armstrong, who died in 2012.

In a written statement, Obama said the three astronauts "took the first small steps of our giant leap into the future" and "have served as testaments to American ingenuity and human achievement."

News photographers were allowed in to the meeting briefly, but there were no reporters or television crews present.

CBS News White House correspondent Major Garrett lodged a complaint about the lack of availability, noting that the astronauts are American heroes whose space adventures were financed entirely by American taxpayers.

"These are legitimate American heroes," White House press secretary Josh Earnest replied. "On that you and I can agree."

Earnest said the lack of press availability was a scheduling issue.

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