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  Suggestion: U.S. stamps for space heroes

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Author Topic:   Suggestion: U.S. stamps for space heroes
DChudwin
Member

Posts: 1096
From: Lincolnshire IL USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 01-21-2017 01:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for DChudwin   Click Here to Email DChudwin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have sent the following letter to the committee that evaluates proposed subjects for U.S. stamps:

Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501

The recent deaths of astronauts John Glenn (the first American to orbit the Earth) and Eugene Cernan (last man on the Moon) highlight the need for a Space Heroes stamp series.

American astronauts have made history by orbiting the Earth and Moon and, in 1969, landing on the Moon. USPS has rightfully honored several space missions over the years, but the only astronaut who has been specifically honored by name with a stamp has been Alan Shepard.

The following deceased NASA astronauts, besides Shepard, certainly deserve stamps, preferably in a series:

  1. Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon
  2. Eugene Cernan, the last man on the Moon
  3. John Glenn, the first American in orbit
  4. Sally Ride, the first American female in orbit
  5. Walter Schirra, the only astronaut to fly in all early manned programs (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo)
  6. Gus Grissom, the second American in space, the commander of the first manned Gemini flight and the commander of the Apollo 1 crew who perished in a ground fire in 1967
  7. Edward White, the first American to walk in space and also a member of the Apollo 1 crew
  8. Charles (Pete) Conrad, the third man to walk on the Moon and the commander of the first Skylab mission
  9. Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the Moon
  10. James Irwin, the eighth person to walk on the Moon
Others who gave their lives for space exploration include Roger Chaffee (Apollo 1) and the crews of space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.

Please consider stamps for these deceased American heroes, especially Armstrong, Cernan, Glenn and Ride. Thanks for your consideration.

While one might quibble as to which deceased astronauts are most appropriate for commemoration with a stamp, there is little question that such stamps are overdue.

Please consider writing the CSAC yourself to give your opinion on the matter.

Wehaveliftoff
Member

Posts: 2343
From:
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 01-22-2017 01:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Wehaveliftoff     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Doesn't it still hold true that the people have to been passed 10 years before they can be on a U.S. stamp? It will still be years before a series of Apollo astronauts, including command module pilots are made on stamps.

yeknom-ecaps
Member

Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 01-22-2017 03:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for yeknom-ecaps   Click Here to Email yeknom-ecaps     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From USPS web site on Stamp Subjects:
Living people will not be considered at the present time. Beginning in 2018, proposals for a deceased individual will be considered three years following his/her death.
David's proposal is for a series which can run multiple years so a Cernan stamp would be considered.

onesmallstep
Member

Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 01-25-2017 01:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Very good suggestions, but I would add three more: Scott Carpenter, Gordo Cooper and Deke Slayton, to round out the "Original Seven." As Shepard already had a stamp issued, making a block/souvenir sheet of all Mercury astronauts would be appropriate.

Perhaps they could be issued in 2019 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Original Seven's selection, or in 2021 for the MR-3 flight anniversary.

All times are CT (US)

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