[Buzz Aldrin]

Directly from the Personal Collection of Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin

A DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD PRESENTED TO DR. BUZZ ALDRIN FROM HIS ALMA MATER, THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT.

Buzz Aldrin entered the United States Military Academy in 1947. Aldrin’s father had wished for him to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, and Buzz in fact received a senator’s appointment to that school. But he decided that West Point would provide a more direct path towards becoming a pilot - the Air Force was still part of the Army when Aldrin was making this decision - and after what Buzz later described as a “confrontation” with his father, the appointment was changed to West Point. As the award points out, Aldrin went on to graduate third in his 1951 class at West Point before a distinguished military career as an aviator, getting a doctorate at MIT, and joining NASA.

Awarded in 2000, the present lot celebrates Aldrin's historic impact not only on his country but on the world at large. This award outlines the significant military and scientific accomplishments achieved by Aldrin as a patriot and in exemplifying the motto of the United States Military Academy: Duty, Honor, Country.