Congressional Space Medal of Honor

On December 17, 1997 President Bill Clinton presented Roger Chaffee the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, our Nation’s highest honor for Astronauts. In the above photo, Roger’s father Don L. Chaffee shakes hands with President Clinton during the Oval Office ceremony. Standing behind Don is his grandson David W. Pequet (Roger’s nephew). In the background, to the left you can see David’s mother Donna Chaffee Young (Roger’s sister) and her husband Dick Young.

"Better Late Than Never"
By Donna Chaffee Young, Scholarship Historian

On December 17, 1997, Roger Chaffee and Ed White were posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President Clinton in the Oval Office. Eight members from each family were invited to attend. Ed White III, son of Ed White II accepted the medal for his father and Martha Chaffee (Roger’s widow) accepted for him.

From the Chaffee family, in attendance, were Martha, Cheryl Chaffee Marshall (Roger’s daughter), Steven Chaffee (Roger’s son) and Cory Chaffee (Roger’s grand daughter), Don L. Chaffee (Roger’s father), David W. Pequet (My son, Roger’s nephew), and my husband Richard Young (Roger’s brother-in-law)

President Clinton gave a very nice eulogy to both of the men and the contribution to the space program they both made. The actual Congressional Citation was presented by the Sergeant of Arms from the Marine Corps Guard. Both were very moving.

I found myself to be so overcome with emotion that I can’t remember too much of what was said. The whole program was so orchestrated that each of us was told where to stand.

Ed White III made a few remarks, actually more than the White House had expected, and noticeably, a few eyebrows were raised. He raised the question of why the presentation had taken so many years. Congress had approved the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1969 and it took 9 years for the first one to be awarded in 1978 and another 19 years for Ed and Roger to be recognized. The avoidance of the whole Apollo 1 issues has long been a question in the minds of the family and friends of the crew.

Regardless of the personal feelings, the honor was very much appreciated. Earlier, one of the NASA personnel, that I was introduced to, made the remark to me “that NASA hopes this would bring closure.” Whatever he meant buy that, I have no idea. How can we, as family and friends, ever forget?

President Clinton spoke with each family member and shook our hands. He graciously accepted a copy a book, "On Course to the Stars" that my father had written about Roger. A copy was also presented to Vice President Al Gore.

We were then ushered out of the Oval Office into a waiting room while President Clinton spoke with Ed White’s family. A commotion irrupted when Buddy (President Clinton’s dog) came barreling down the hall, dodging in and out of our legs. An aide was in hot pursuit, calling “stop Buddy” The aide caught him beyond Dick and I, in front of Betty Grissom. It really lightened up the whole scene.

Before the presentation, we were given a tour of the White House and admired the elaborate Christmas decorations including twenty three beautifully adorned Christmas trees. After the ceremony, we were driven back to the hotel for a very nice lunch.

About 2:00pm, we were driven to Arlington cemetery to visit Roger’s grave and then returned to our hotel. Speaking for myself, I found the entire day to be awesome, moving and emotional, something, I personally will never forget.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release December 17, 1998

The President Presents the
Congressional Space Medal of Honor

President Clinton Presents Congressional Space Medal of Honor December 17, 1997

Today, President Clinton awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, posthumously, to NASA astronauts Lieutenant Commander Roger B. Chaffee and Lieutenant Colonel Edward H. White, II. The Medal is authorized by Congress. Recommendations for potential recipients are made by the NASA Administrator to the President.

On January 27, 1967, NASA astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee were killed when a fire erupted on the launch pad during a preflight test for the Apollo 1 Moon mission. To mark the 30th anniversary of this event, NASA requested and received the President's approval last June to award the Congressional Space Medal, posthumously, to White and Chaffee. (Grissom previously received the Medal as the Apollo 1 commander and one of America's most accomplished astronauts.) Other commemorations of Apollo 1 have taken place throughout the year, including the October induction of Roger Chaffee into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Only ten individuals have ever received the Congressional Space Medal. In 1978, President Carter awarded the first six to John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Alan Shepard, Frank Borman, Pete Conrad, and Gus Grissom (posthumously). President Reagan gave one to John Young (1981), and President Bush gave one to Tom Stafford (1992). President Clinton presented the Medal to Jim Lovell (1995) and Shannon Lucid (1996).

The families of White and Chaffee, accompanied by Mrs. Betty Grissom (Gus Grissom's widow) and select Members of Congress were present at the ceremony which recognized the nation's significant, but unspoken debt of gratitude to the Apollo 1 crew, whose tragic experience led to the establishment of major safety review processes that helped us land safely on the Moon, and that continue to protect our astronauts today.

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release December 17, 1997

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN PRESENTATION OF THE CONGRESSIONAL SPACE MEDAL OF HONOR

The Oval Office
10:37 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Gibbons, Mr. Goldin, Congressman Sensenbrenner; to Edward White and the White family, and Martha Chaffee and the Chaffee family, and Mrs. Grissom, other representatives of the astronauts' families that are here.

A generation ago, President Kennedy challenged our nation and asked God's blessing to undertake the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked. His challenge in 1961 to send a man to the moon and bring him safely back to Earth by the end of the decade captured the imagination of millions of people around the world. A group of pioneering Americans recognized the limitless possibilities of this seemingly impossible challenge, and they would risk their lives to make it happen.

Two great Americans we honor today, Lt. Commander Roger Chaffee and Lt. Colonel Edward White, were among them. More than 30 years ago, these two men, along with their commander, Virgil "Gus" Grissom, were selected for the very first Apollo mission.

Tragedy struck before they could achieve their goal. On January 27, 1967, fire swept through the Apollo capsule during a training session, killing all three of them. In 1978, President Carter presented Commander Grissom with one of the first Congressional Space Medals of Honor. Today, I have the privilege of presenting the same medal to his crewmates, Roger Chaffee and Edward White, courageous men who gave their lives in our nation's effort to conquer the frontiers of space.

Even before they joined the Apollo program, Chaffee and White had already served our nation with great distinction. Born in Texas and a member of the United States Air Force, Colonel White was the first American to walk in space. At a White House ceremony soon afterward, President Johnson called him "one of the Christopher Columbuses of our century."

Commander Chaffee was a Michigan native and a decorated Navy pilot. Though he was the rookie of the crew, he didn't lack self-confidence. He once said, "Hell, I'd feel secure taking it up all by myself."

Today we bestow upon Roger Chaffee and Edward White the highest honor in America's space program, but they were honored in our hearts long ago. Their deaths will remind us always that exploring space is dangerous, life-threatening work -- work that demands and deserves the bravest and best among us. Though they never got there, astronauts Chaffee, White, and Grissom's footprints are on the moon. Their presence is felt on every mission of our space shuttle program. Their spirits live on in every successful launch and every safe return. And I'm certain they will be there when the international space station goes into orbit.

America has become the world's leading space-faring nation because of the selfless pioneering spirits of the men we honor today. I am proud to present these medals to the families of Roger Chaffee and Edward White. On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank them for their sacrifice.

Now I'd like to ask the military aide to read the citations.

(The citations are read.)

MR. WHITE: On behalf of the families gathered here today, I would like to thank NASA and the administration for recommending and approving these prestigious awards. We are all very proud of these honors.

Edward White II, Roger Chaffee, and their crewmate, Gus Grissom, have left our nation with two important legacies. The first is that of a safer space program. As a result of the tragic Apollo I fire, the entire space program was overhauled, especially in the areas of quality, workmanship and crew safety. Due to this renewed emphasis, two and a half years later, the United States was able to achieve John Kennedy's goal of landing men on the moon, and more importantly, returning them safely to Earth.

Now that we have recently passed the milestone of 100 manned missions since Apollo I, it is a testimony to this safety emphasis that we have a 99 percent success rate.

The second legacy is that of a safer planet. Not only did the Apollo program win the space race and plant our American flag on the moon, it also planted the seeds for the technological revolution that we are in the midst of today. Our worldwide technology supremacy was the ultimate outcome and final victory of the space race. And we are a much safer world today because of this victory.

I hope these two legacies continue for many generations to come and encourage us to continue taking risks to explore new frontiers.

Thank you again. (Applause.)

To read other stories about
Roger Chaffee and the Apollo Program
visit In the News

In the below photo (left to right) Donna Chaffee Young (Roger's Sister), her husband Dick Young, Cheryl Chaffee Marshall (Roger's Daughter), Martha Chaffee (Roger's Wife, holding the Congressional Space Medal of Honor), President Bill Clinton, Stephan Chaffee (Roger's Son), Cory Chaffee (Stephan's Daughter), David W. Pequet (Donna Chaffee Young's Son), Don L. Chaffee (Roger's Father, seated)