The greatest generation and everyone did their part. My Mom's dad fought in Europe and my Dad's dad worked in Grumman and later the Space Program. I recently found something that I thought lost from my Dad's dad and figured I would present it here.

If anyone knows me, it is from the Comic forums. Recently while going through boxes for a sales thread I want to put together, I came across something that I had misplaced. Certain things in the family have been entrusted to me for safekeeping. This was one of them.

During WWII, my paternal grandfather worked for Grumman as a project manager in producing airplanes and other things for the war effort. After WWII and the Cold War was in effect, Grumman transitioned to working on projects for the military and then eventually the space program. We knew this and as kids marveled at some of the documents that he had saved from this time period. He was not particularly close with his grandchildren so I know most of the information from the stories that my Dad has told me and the documents that have been left behind when he died in 2001.

One of the artifacts that he had from the projects that he worked on was from Apollo 8. I remember as a younger child looking at the colorful NASA label and the critical sign and wondering really what it was never truly appreciating it. Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to orbit the moon and return safely to Earth. A piece of aluminum was brought on board with the mission and upon its return to earth, was melted down and incorporated into the metals that were used to create this coin. From what I understand, project managers were given commemorative coins and a certificate of appreciation for their efforts in making the mission a successful one.

As with many people that came out of "The Greatest Generation", extravagance was not something that was part of their lives. This was the group of men and women that weathered a depression and a war and knew how to make due during simpler times. The frame here is a bit old and falling apart but the coin is untouched since it went into the frame what is probably well over forty years ago. I plan on reframing and refitting it myself to give to my dad this Christmas. Any and all comments and suggestions are welcome.

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