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USN 710503: Naval Balloonist Commander Ross Receives Distinguished Flying Cross

USN 710503: Naval Balloonist Commander Ross Receives Distinguished Flying Cross. Commander Malcolm D. Ross, USNR, Naval Balloon Pilot, receives the Distinguished Flying Cross from James H. Wakelin, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research and Development. Mrs. Ross, the Commander’s wife and daughter, Jane, witnessed the 25 August 1959 ceremony. The citation was awarded “for extraordinary achievement in aerial flight as command pilot of a two-man Navy balloon and gondola during a daring and hazardous ascent into the upper stratosphere on July 26-27, 1958. In addition to setting a new unofficial world endurance record for sustained flight into the stratosphere of thirty-four hours and thirty-nine minutes, he also successfully completed approximately twenty-seven other scientific experiments conducted aloft as a scheduled part of the flight, attracting widespread public attention and acclaim. By his outstanding professional skills, courage, and inspiring efforts, Commander Ross made a highly significant contribution to man’s scientific conquest of space.” Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
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Caption: USN 710503: Naval Balloonist Commander Ross Receives Distinguished Flying Cross. Commander Malcolm D. Ross, USNR, Naval Balloon Pilot, receives the Distinguished Flying Cross from James H. Wakelin, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research and Development. Mrs. Ross, the Commander’s wife and daughter, Jane, witnessed the 25 August 1959 ceremony. The citation was awarded “for extraordinary achievement in aerial flight as command pilot of a two-man Navy balloon and gondola during a daring and hazardous ascent into the upper stratosphere on July 26-27, 1958. In addition to setting a new unofficial world endurance record for sustained flight into the stratosphere of thirty-four hours and thirty-nine minutes, he also successfully completed approximately twenty-seven other scientific experiments conducted aloft as a scheduled part of the flight, attracting widespread public attention and acclaim. By his outstanding professional skills, courage, and inspiring efforts, Commander Ross made a highly significant contribution to man’s scientific conquest of space.” Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
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Topic
  • Space Exploration
Document Type
  • Photograph
Wars & Conflicts
Navy Communities
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  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials
  • National Museum of the U.S. Navy
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