Glove, Left, USAF Honor Guard (worn)

A senior airman serving as an honor guard wore these gloves while on duty at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in early February 2003, after the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. The base was the collection site for vehicle debris and human remains after the Shuttle disintegrated during reentry over Texas. The honor guard handled flags for the caskets bearing remains of the seven astronauts who perished in the accident, and they carried the caskets to the aircraft for transport elsewhere. The young enlisted man who wore these gloves, stained by the flags he held during this event, vowed never to wear them again. He offered his gloves and other honor guard accessories to the Museum as a tribute to the Columbia crew.