Back From the Moon: The Apollo 8 Photos of Dan Bernath

One of the most exciting missions of the USS Yorktown (CVS-10) was the retrieval of the Apollo 8 capsule from her Pacific splashdown. Photographer’s mate, Daniel Bernath captured the recovery and subsequent celebration that took place on December 28, 1968. Bernath said, “I remember walking in the photo lab and one of my buddies said, "Hey, Dan, did you hear? We are going to pick up the astronauts."

Dan Bernath joined the US Navy and became a photographer’s mate in 1966 at the age of 17. Bernath’s photography role meant he had unfettered access to every division on the ship. Interviewed about his time on the Yorktown, Bernath described his Apollo 8 experience:

“The Marine was a buddy of mine. So, I went up to him and I said, "You know, it would really be nice, Mike—if you would go up there and just rip off a part of that heat shield and give it to me." He goes, "Yeah. Why not." So, he just went up there and he ripped off a part of the heat shield and gave it to me. It was like golden foil and there's also a little bit of a screw that was attached to it. I go, "That's kind of cool." So, I kept it for years and years and years in a box. Then, I found out later that the Yorktown became a museum. It's in Charleston, South Carolina harbor. I said, "Would you like to have this?" They said, "Yeah."

Dan Bernath donated his collection to Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, where many of his artifacts, including the Apollo 8 heat shield, are on view today.