Arlington, Va. (June 6, 2022) – In case you missed it, CBS Saturday Morning highlighted the unveiling of a new monument at Arlington National Cemetery honoring the fallen astronauts of the Apollo 1 mission. Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning joined NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Challenger Center President Lance Bush, and the families of the astronauts at the dedication of the monument on Thursday, June 2nd.
Watch the CBS story here or by clicking the image below.
“It was an honor to be with the Apollo 1 families and members of the space community for this special occasion. Our success in space is a tribute to Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. Their sacrifice paved the way for the achievements of America’s space program,” said Eric Fanning, President and CEO of AIA. “An Apollo 1 monument at Arlington National Cemetery has been a long-time interest among the space community and this special ceremony served as a reminder of the sacrifices astronauts and their families have made in our pursuit of the new frontier of space.”
AIA and Challenger Center, with support from the Apollo 1 families, NASA, and the space industry, worked together to create a permanent memorial at ANC. The monument was fully funded with private donations, with contributions from Aerojet Rocketdyne, Aerospace Corporation, Boeing, Leidos, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Marotta Controls, and Northrop Grumman. The commemorative Apollo 1 monument rests next to Grissom and Chaffee’s tombstones, honoring and memorializing the Apollo 1 crew.
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