GEMINI IV—ED WHITE.
Engraved Document Signed by John McConnell and Harold Brown as Air Force Chief of Staff and Secretary respectively, oblong folio, Washington, March 6, 1967, being a Certificate for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross, housed in original cloth folder together with a typed citation describing White's achievements with Air Force seal, some toning, light rubbing to folder.
POSTHUMOUS DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS CERTIFICATE TO ED WHITE FOR HIS SPACEWALK, performed on June 3, 1965 and being the first EVA (extra-vehicular activity) performed by an American. Ed White's memorable words after this first spacewalk were, "I'm coming back in ... and it's the saddest moment of my life." The spacewalk, and the remainder of the Gemini IV mission, are characterized on this certificate as an "extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight" which seems quite the understatement. The accompanying citation goes into more detail: "He remained outside the spacecraft for a period of 23 minutes and became the first man to control himself in an extra-vehicular activity space environment with a hand held maneuvering unit."
White, however, was not awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross until after his death in the Apollo 1 fire. The date of this certificate is only a few weeks after that tragedy, on January 27, 1967.
