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A popular niche of Navy Zippos for collectors commemorate the recovery of astronauts from the space capsules after splash-down. Also see
Space Zippo |
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This 1962 Zippo commemorates the recovery of John Glenn by USS Noa after completion on the Mercury 3 mission which was the first US manned orbit of the Earth in February 1962 |
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| The two-sided 1962 Zippo to the left
commemorates USS Kearsarge's recovery of Walter Schirra after the 9 hour
Mercury 7 orbit mission in October 1962 and Gordon Cooper after the
Mercury 8 1 day 10 hour orbit in May 1963 which was the first US space
flight exceeding 24 hours. The one-sided Zippo below was probably a
presentation lighter for Admiral Karaberis. |
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| This 1965 two-sided Zippo for the USS Wasp
commemorates the recovery of the Gemini 6 Astronauts Walter Schirra
and Thomas Stafford on one side, and the Gemini 7 Astronauts Frank Borman
and Thomas Lovell on the reverse. Both missions were carried out in
December 1965. |
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The USS Wasp's recoveries are also commemorated on this Bracroft table lighter Zippo. |
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Apollo 8 was the
first of the Apollo series to successfully orbit the moon, and the first
manned spacecraft to leave Earth's gravity and reach the Moon. This
1968 two-sided slim Zippo commemorates the recovery of astronauts Frank
Borman, James Lovell and William Anders by USS Yorktown in December
1968. |
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The USS Hornet recovered the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 astronauts,
the first men on the moon; in 1969, the year of this Town & Country
Zippo. |
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