US Military Academy M1898 Krag rifle bayonet as used by West Point cadets in dress uniform from 1898 to 1962, measuring 16″ long and applied to a wooden 19″ x 8″ plaque, with engraved plates above and below: "Bayonet, Dress M1898, Introduced Early 90's, Officially Adopted 1898 and Utilized last in 1962 by the Class of 1966" and "Presented to Alfred M. Worden, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, By United States Corps of Cadets on the Occasion of His Visit to the United States Military Academy, 26 October 1971." The chrome-plated blade is dated "1899" at the base; these bayonets were in use at the USMA for a period of over 60 years, with the blades polished and refinished and wooden grips replaced as necessary due to damage or wear.
On October 26, 1971, just eighty days after their return to Earth, Apollo 15 astronauts Al Worden and Dave Scott paid a visit to their alma mater at West Point. The Hartford Courant reported: 'In a brief ceremony the astronauts, although now members of the Air Force, turned over to the academy an athletic letter 'A' for Army which they took on their flight, as well as an 'A' shoulder patch and a small American flag. In return, they accepted an inscribed ceremonial bayonet, on behalf of the academy, from cadet First Capt. Robert L. Van Antwerp Jr.'
From the collection of Apollo 15 CMP Al Worden, and accompanied by a letter of provenance from his daughter Alison (Worden) Penczak.
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