CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodrich Corporation (NYSE:GR) provided a donation in support of the award by the United States Air Force of a Silver Star to Captain Francis Gary Powers, the renowned U-2 pilot who was shot down over the Soviet Union in May 1960. This posthumous award was presented to Captain Powers' son at a ceremony at the Cold War Museum in Washington, D.C. on June 15.

The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy. It is awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States armed forces, distinguishes himself or herself by extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy of the United States.

Mike Don, director of Strategic Surveillance Systems for Goodrich ISR Systems explained, "We are extremely honored to support the award of the Silver Star to Captain Powers, the legendary pilot of this game-changing aircraft. Today our SYERS-2 sensor is the premier image collector in the USAF inventory and it would not have risen to this level of prominence without the efforts of pilots such as Powers. The U-2 program's success has a direct path back to the determination and bravery of Captain Powers which is recognized by the Silver Star award."

The Cold War Museum is a charitable organization dedicated to education, preservation, and research on the global, ideological, and political confrontations between east and west from the end of World War II to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. One of its aims has been to establish the Cold War Museum as a permanent record local and regional cold war history within the national museum in Washington, DC.

Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a global supplier of systems and services to the aerospace and defense industries. With one of the most strategically diversified portfolios of products in the industry, Goodrich serves a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and service facilities. For more information, visit http://www.goodrich.com.

Goodrich Corporation operates through its divisions and as a parent company for its subsidiaries, one or more of which may be referred to as "Goodrich Corporation" in this press release.

SOURCE Goodrich Corporation; GR - Electronic Systems