Gus Grissom's Flown Gemini 3 Recovery Life Vest

Gus Grissom's flown life vest carried on the Gemini 3 mission, featuring the red-orange inflatable right side, yellow inflatable left side, and chest belt system for securing it in place, given by Grissom to one of the members of the recovery team on board the USS Intrepid. The red-orange inflatable right side of the vest is marked "NASA Life Vest, Part No. 20529, Switlik Parachute Co., Inc., Contract No. NAS9-3124, Date of Mfg. Sept. 1964, Serial No. 126," with a silver-gray tab for attaching it to the belt, marked, "NASA Life Vest, Part No. 20537, Switlik Parachute Co., Inc., Contract No. NAS9-3124, [Date] of Mfg. Sept. 1964, S/N 126." The yellow inflatable left side of the vest is marked "NASA Life Vest, Part No. 20529, Switlik Parachute Co., Inc., Contract No. NAS9-3124, Date of Mfg. Sept. 1964, Serial No. 179," with a silver-gray tab for attaching it to the belt, marked, "NASA Life Vest, Part No. 20537, Switlik Parachute Co., Inc., Contract No. NAS9-3124, [Date] of Mfg. Sept. 1964, Serial No. 179." The gray chest belt system for attaching the life vest to the astronaut is annotated on the front of one of the belts, "Gus." In fine condition, with expected signs of use and wear. These life vests were part of the emergency survival equipment carried on the spacecraft during the Gemini program, and could be inflated for flotation in the ocean after splashdown. Each side could be inflated under the astronaut's arm to gently cradle him in the water. Grissom is seen utilizing this type of device in a photograph taken by NASA during water egress training at the Manned Spacecraft Center.
Accompanied by a letter of provenance from the recipient of this life vest, who was assigned to Helicopter Squadron 3 (HS-3) on the USS Intrepid (CVS-11) recovery ship in March 1965 and was given the vest by Grissom. Additionally includes four of his original vintage color glossy 5 x 3.5 candid photographs taken during the recovery (two showing the Gemini 3 capsule floating in the ocean, and two taken on the deck of the USS Intrepid), as well as the 'Gemini Commemorative Issue' of the Intrepid's on-board newspaper The Ketcher, published "within minutes of the actual recovery" on March 23, 1965.