Marines Provide Security for Astronauts
December 19, 1972, in Marine Corps history.
Posted on 12/19/2025
On December 19, 1972, the Marine detachment of the USS Ticonderoga provided shipboard security for three U.S. astronauts, Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, Harrison Schmitt, and their Apollo-17 space capsule. The astronauts had successfully completed a (then) record lunar stay of more than 75 hours.
*Image info: The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga moored at a pier in January 1962. (U.S. Navy photo)
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