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Congressional Space Medal Of Honor For Sale


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A California auction house is offering Ed White's posthumous Congressional Space Medal of Honor. White performed the first space walk during the Gemini program and died in the Apollo 1 fire.

 

http://www.regencystamps.com/code/public.php?lot=0309

 

From the Regency-Superior listing:

 

"This medal was authorized by the US Congress in 1969 to recognize ‘any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptional meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind’. It is awarded by the President on recommendation from the NASA Administrator. The award is a civilian award that is a separate decoration from the Medal of Honor, which is a military award for extreme bravery and gallantry in combat. This award may be worn on military uniforms following all US Armed Forces decorations. To be awarded this decoration, an astronaut must perform feats of extraordinary accomplishment while participating in actual space flight under NASA authority. This decoration may be awarded for extreme bravery during a space emergency or in preventing a major space disaster, or may be presented posthumously to those astronauts who died in the line of duty while performing a US space mission. This is the rarest of all space medals and by far the rarest Medal of Honor. Only 28 decorations have been awarded by the President in Congress’ name. These have been awarded posthumously to the Crews of Apollo 1, Challenger (STS 51L) and Columbia (STS 107) as well as to Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, Pete Conrad, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, John Young, Tom Stafford, James Lovell, Shannon Lucid, William Shepard and Roger Crippen. The award we have the honor of offering was presented to Ed White III in 1997 in his father’s name for making America’s first EVA and for Apollo 1."

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I am a bit surprised that this medal does not fall under the same laws that bar the sale of military congressional Medals of Honor.

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I am a bit surprised that this medal does not fall under the same laws that bar the sale of military congressional Medals of Honor.

 

 

If this medal sale gets much publicity I'm sure someone will call for a closure to the legislative " loophole ".

 

Kurt

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  • 2 weeks later...
wartimecollectables.com

SOLD! Hammer price ... $80,000.00.

I threw a $12K bid in just in case it slipped through the cracks.

I was rather an underbidder :D

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It is really a civilian government employee medal, not necessarily given to member of the armed frorces even though they too can get the medal, yes? Perhaps by emphasising the important of the MEDAL OF HONOR instead of including others as before, the MOH carries greater weight? It may be called a Medal of Honor, but are the risks the same under combat conditions? I wonder who designed the medal, looks like something from Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon?

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It's a NASA medal awarded to civilians and military in NASA programs, and while it doesn't get the press coverage the military Medals of Honor get, it seems to be given for equal risks. Strapping a couple hundred thousand pounds of propellent and oxidizer to one's backside and lighting it off constitutes substantial risk in my mind.

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wartimecollectables.com
...I wonder who designed the medal, looks like something from Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon?

 

:lol: I'll have to reread my info and find out. I've only seen one "in person" and yep, it's kinda gaudy! Designed perchance by the same guy that did the USAF DSM?

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It's a NASA medal awarded to civilians and military in NASA programs, and while it doesn't get the press coverage the military Medals of Honor get, it seems to be given for equal risks. Strapping a couple hundred thousand pounds of propellent and oxidizer to one's backside and lighting it off constitutes substantial risk in my mind.

 

Plus the fact that a small fraction of these were awarded compared to the Military MOH. However, like other's, if it comes down the house and wife or this one ... I guess I'll stick to the warm bed and good meals think.gif

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collectsmedals

The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was designed by the U.S. Army's Institute of Heraldry. It was chosen from five designs submitted in 1963.

 

As a piece of trivia, it is the only officially awarded U.S. Medal to have a gemstone on it. (The center is a 0.25 carat diamond)

 

There have been only 13 of these prestigious awards presented.

 

They are to:

 

Neil Armstrong

Frank Borman

Charles Conrad

John Glenn

Alan Shepard

Virgil Grissom (posthumous)

John Young

Thomas P. Stafford

James Lovell

Shannon Lucid

Roger Chaffee (posthumous)

Edward White (posthumous)

William M. Shepherd

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collectsmedals
The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was designed by the U.S. Army's Institute of Heraldry. It was chosen from five designs submitted in 1963.

 

As a piece of trivia, it is the only officially awarded U.S. Medal to have a gemstone on it. (The center is a 0.25 carat diamond)

 

There have been only 13 of these prestigious awards presented.

 

They are to:

 

Neil Armstrong

Frank Borman

Charles Conrad

John Glenn

Alan Shepard

Virgil Grissom (posthumous)

John Young

Thomas P. Stafford

James Lovell

Shannon Lucid

Roger Chaffee (posthumous)

Edward White (posthumous)

William M. Shepherd

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collectsmedals

I just noticed that the original post has a more extensive list of recipients.

 

I guess my reference is out of date. Sorry.

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  • 5 months later...
IMPERIAL QUEST

You would think that the "designer" could have come up with something a little more tasteful for our space heroes. It looks like a cheap piece of costume jewelry that was created for an intentional laugh. As someone else mentioned - it reminds me of the gum ball machine-looking AF DSM thumbdown.gifthumbsup.gif

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  • 1 year later...

Forum members:

 

You are in the MEDALS & DECORATIONS "Reference Section". This area is where posts from the general Medals & Decorations "discussion section" (http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...?showforum=83) are moved for permanent retention and education about the history of the various U.S. medals and military decorations.

 

As time moves forward, some of these posts may have additional information added to them by the moderators of this section. We ask for your input as well, especially in the correction of any erroneous information that may have inadvertently be posted..

 

We encourage further comments about this post and its content. In order to do so, you will need to start a new post in the general Medals & Decorations "discussion section" (here: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind....?showforum=83). And, as needed, we will be pleased to move any new and / or valued information that is derived from your post (and subsequent comments) into this reference area as its own standing post.

 

Please be advised: posting and / or editing is restricted on this post to moderator's and forum staff.

 

Sincerely,

Chris / ADMIN

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  • 10 years later...

It's a NASA medal awarded to civilians and military in NASA programs, and while it doesn't get the press coverage the military Medals of Honor get, it seems to be given for equal risks. Strapping a couple hundred thousand pounds of propellent and oxidizer to one's backside and lighting it off constitutes substantial risk in my mind.

Quite a difference between civilian NASA service and military service. I know many in my circle who would volunteer without thought for space missions of any kind as opposed to signing up for military wartime service. In my belief system, civilian service is just that, civilian service. However, " volunteers" for military service a step above ( I served voluntarily) but all my praise goes to draftees. Huge differences between civilian service, voluntary service, drafted service. That said, a relative of mine who recently retired had received 6 or 7 NASA medals of Achievement during his 20 some year NASA career....civilian awards just do not have much meaning or collectibility to me.

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  • 2 years later...

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