Posted on 04/04/2007 4:57:27 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
A Presidential Medal of Freedom that was prepared for award to Apollo 13 astronaut Captain James Lovell, Jr., and which was missing since 1970, was recently recovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the bureau's Chicago office announced on Tuesday.
A slight defect in the medal resulted in its replacement being manufactured and presented in its place to Lovell. The damaged medal was intended to be destroyed but instead it found its way out of the White House and into the hands of a private collector in Pennsylvania.
On January 5, 2007, that same collector listed the medal for auction on the website eBay. Originally advertised under the heading "Presidential Medal of Freedom James A. Lovell Apollo 13," the auction was ended by the seller several times to make adjustments to its description. In the process, she removed all mention of Lovell's name. At the time she wrote that the omission was done to comply with eBay policies.
According to the FBI, Lovell learned that the medal was being offered for sale and became concerned about the propriety of the auction, the negative effect it might have on the medal as well as on other recipients of the award.
As a result, Lovell contacted the FBI.
An investigation by the FBI's cyber crimes unit identified the seller and led to the recovery of the medal late last month. The authenticity of the recovered medal has been verified by the White House.
To date, no arrests have been made nor have charges been filed in connection with the recovery of the medal, although the FBI's investigation is still ongoing.
The medal presented to Lovell is still in his possession. He and his Apollo 13 crewmates Fred Haise and Jack Swigert received the honor, the nation's highest civilian award, on April 18, 1970 by President Richard M. Nixon at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii. The crew had just returned safely to Earth the day earlier, having survived an in-flight explosion before reaching the Moon.
"I am grateful to the FBI for their quick response," said Lovell, "and proud to be a recipient of our nation's highest civilian award."
So, how did that medal leak out of the WH in the first place? Inside Sandy Berger’s trousers?
Whoever took the medal was probably the same individual entrusted to destroy it. They probably provided brass shavings as “proof” that the medal was destroyed, then unloaded it on a collector friend for some quick cash. The person who ripped the medal is probably dead.
The collector had to know that the medal was stolen and she’s probably not having much fun with the FBI right now.
I’m beginning to think that the FBI should be monitoring E-Bay night and day.
It is nice that the FBI has nothing better to do.
Not to mention monitoring FR...
God Speed, Commander Lovell .... you may have *only* circled the Moon twice rather than walked upon it, but yours and crewmates Haise and Swigert's heroic actions in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds truly showed the world what Americans are all about, and no eBay auction of a piece of tin can ever take that away from you.
MM
So Billy Bulger has scored a "twofer" today.
code yellow on the bean dip......report again at 0800..out
I repeat, the eagle flies at midnight... Cough, cough...
Gee, do you think the FBI will give positive feedback?
Oh no, not the eagle at midnight again.
I rather the shrew in the dark of the sun.
John has a long moustache. Mary had a little lamb. Go about Freeping as if you know nothing....
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