David K. Stone (American, 1922 - 2001) "Alan B. Shepard, Jr." Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Commemorative Cover postmarked November 18, 1979. Alan B. Shepard, Jr., born November 18, 1923, in East Derry, New Hampshire, pioneered America's first successful space voyage. His career began as a pilot in the United States Navy. Shepard immediately excelled, and his record as a test pilot played a major role in his 1959 appointment as one of the seven original United States astronauts. After almost two years of extensive training, Shepard prepared for his first suborbital flight. On May 6, 1961, Shepard manned the Mercury spacecraft, Freedom 7, which was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Inside the capsule Shepard lay on a padded fiberglass contour couch. From here he controlled the fifteen minute flight, guiding the capsule to an altitude of 116 miles and reaching speeds of 5,180 miles per hour while reentering the earth's atmosphere. This monumental flight occurred less than a month after Russia's Major Yuri Gagarin completed the first manned space flight, and made Alan Shepard, Jr. the first American in space. After this initial success, Shepard was grounded because of an ear disorder doctors thought was permanent. Through courage and perseverance Shepard conquered his illness and, in 1971, as commander of Apollo 14, returned to space exploration, becoming the fifth man on the moon. Image Size: 18 x 21 in. Overall Size: 22.25 x 26.25 in. Unframed. (B05254)