Gold Replica of Lunar Excursion Module Stolen From Neil Armstrong Museum

[jpak]

Source: NBC News

Thieves broke into the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum Friday night and stole a gold replica of the 1969 Lunar Excursion Module that landed on the moon, police in Wapakoneta, Ohio, reported.

Wapakoneta police confirmed in a press release that only three such replicas exist — one for each astronaut who completed the mission. The rare item, which measures about 5-inches high and roughly 4.5-inches square, was awarded to Neil Armstrong in Paris following the moon landing.

The police department said the value of the item cannot be determined.

Wapakoneta police are currently investigating the break in with help from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gold-replica-lunar-excursion-module-stolen-neil-armstrong-museum-n787776

[trof]

1. Wapakoneta? Seriously? This is a place?

Hunh

[drray23]

2. do you realize many places in the us are named after or by native american tribes ?

In this instance, its a shawnee term meaning the place of white bones.

[trof]

4. I went to college in Tuscaloosa.

I grew up not too far from Oneonta.
Also Ishkooda.
Wapakoneta is somewhat unusual for the number of syllables.
Also, I've never heard of it, but you probably never heard of Ishkooda either.
Oh, there's a town in my state named 'Arab'.
It's not pronounced air-rub.
It's Ay-rab.

Peace

[drray23]

5. did not mean to sound flippant. sorry about that.

Yes, i never heard of ishkooda..

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. They're often Native American names n/t

[lapfog_1]

9. HAving grown up in Shawnee Kansas

both names (Shawnee and Kansas) are native American.

I went to college in Lawrence Kansas... but the original name of the city was Wakarusa... right up until the Native Americans told the city founders that "Wakarusa" meant "place of horse shit".

The founders went on to find an obscure "funder" (an abolitionist from Mass) who provided money so that like minded people would immigrate to Kansas and make it a "free state". Lawrence never actually visited the city named after him.

In a last bit of irony, both Lawrence and Leavenworth competed heavily for the federal penitentiary... Leavenworth "won" and Lawrence was awarded a land grant state university as the consolation prize.

[flyingfysh]

7. I live in Massachusetts

nobody says that is a weird name. The next town used to be called Menotomy. My mom lives close to the Okefenokee Swamp.
Native names are everywhere.

[Aristus]

10. In my neck of the woods, we have Snoqualmie, Snohomish, Skykomish, Duwamish, Suquamish,

Toppenish, Salishan, and many other names derived from tribes of the Salish nation.

[TheBlackAdder]

12. Surprising, isn't it? Settlers stole their land and didn't bother to whitewash the names of towns.

.

Instead, they appropriated them. Perhaps as a final insult.

.

[llmart]

14. Take a look at some of the town names in Michigan...

if you think Wapakoneta is odd.

[Archae]

16. Try Wisconsin.

I live in Sheboygan, and within a 200 mile radius of me is Manitowoc, Oconomowoc, and Milwaukee.

[Cracklin Charlie]

3. I drove past there this morning!

Wapokoneta is a nice town.

[secondwind]

8. We are chock full of Indian names here in Florida.. I love it.

[Bengus81]

15. Such as Miami,correct?

Or the name of a tribe such as Wichita. Oh...when Miami was becoming a town they of course wanted to name it after Henry Flagler,he said no and Miami was born.

We have a bridge and park here named Minisa.....Red water at sunset.

[Sunlei]

11. melt it down and more gold coins & 'placer gold 'micro-bits' for sale on ebay today

[Vinca]

13. The thing is probably worth a fortune as space memorabilia, but the criminals will melt it down.

[Akoto]

17. "...The value of the item cannot be determined."

That's because it's one of those rare things we can genuinely call priceless. You can put a dollar amount on it, but it will always be a historical relic worth more than whatever one pays.

That's also why it stuns me that something so important was left in a less than secure location, unless they have great security and the thieves were up to the task. Didn't read the entire article, admittedly.