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Author Topic:   Apollo 9 mission patch (variants, versions)
spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 10-27-2006 03:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here's an oddity for you... Resembles a crew patch in some ways but with a different font, no red in the "D" and some other subtle differences. Plus it's 4" in diameter. Back is bare cloth.

Has anyone seen this patch before?

Go4Launch
Member

Posts: 542
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 10-28-2006 12:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Go4Launch   Click Here to Email Go4Launch     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This patch was made by Texas Art Embroidery.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 10-29-2006 07:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Does this mean Texas Embroidery made two different patch designs for Apollo 9?

I understood that the crew version was 3 1/4" in diameter, with a red "D" in McDivitt and Eurostile extended font.

This one is 4" with no red D, a different font, and some other subtle differences.

Mike Z
Member

Posts: 451
From: Ellicott City, Maryland
Registered: Dec 2005

posted 10-29-2006 10:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mike Z   Click Here to Email Mike Z     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was just wondering where you found this patch?

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 10-29-2006 02:33 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
On eBay in a batch of mixed patches. Some old, some new, nothing else rare though.

Bill Hunt
Member

Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 10-29-2006 06:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bill Hunt   Click Here to Email Bill Hunt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
How do you know for sure that the patch was made by Texas Art Embroidery?

Go4Launch
Member

Posts: 542
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 10-29-2006 09:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Go4Launch   Click Here to Email Go4Launch     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by spaced out:
I understood that the crew version was 3 1/4" in diameter, with a red "D" in McDivitt and Eurostile extended font.
I have been unable to confirm that Texas Art made the smaller ("authentic") version -- so I can't really answer that question for sure. Can you confirm that?
quote:
Originally posted by Bill Hunt:
How do you know for sure that the patch was made by Texas Art Embroidery?
This is based on my "field research!" That's all I can say for now...

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 06-13-2007 12:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The other day I came across a small Apollo 9 patch that I can't seem to identify. It measures 3 1/4" across so it's only a fraction larger than the AB Emblem 3" patch but it's not theirs.

The back is bare cloth and it certainly appears to be a vintage version. Also of note is the fact that it is tail-less (i.e. has a merrowed edge), something normally seen in e.g. Lion Brothers or Texas Art Embroidery patches.

Anyone seen this before?

dtemple
Member

Posts: 729
From: Longview, Texas, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 06-14-2007 11:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dtemple   Click Here to Email dtemple     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Are you absolutely certain it measures 3 1/4 inches across? I have a nearly identical version which measures 3 1/8 inches across. The "D" is not filled-in with red stitching like yours. Other than a possible size difference, that is the only difference I noticed. For some reason, a number of Apollo 9 patch variations were made. I have one that looks like an A-B Emblems type but with a Lion Bros. style CSM-LM and black stitching for the "USA" lettering on the rocket.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 06-15-2007 02:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Okay, it's actually 80mm across, which is close to 3 1/8 inches. Maybe it is the same patch as the one you have.

There certainly seem to be a lot of variations on the Apollo 9 patch design as you say.

spaced out
Member

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 01-20-2009 02:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I've just posted an updated version of the Apollo 9 page of my Crew Patches site.

I have to thank Andrew Li for pointing out to me that what I'd thought of as a variant of the crew patch is in fact a perfect match for patch worn by the crew for their formal portrait. I also managed to track down a high-res post-flight image that shows that the patch worn on their jump suits after recovery is the same version.

I believe the type I previously showed as the crew patch to be a variant, most likely from a different production run, so I've noted it as such on the page.

The differences in design are subtle, but once you know what to look for it's easy to
identify which version you're looking at.

Going back through a few PDF and online auction catalogs looking at flown crew patches and unflown crew patch examples mounted alongside flown flags, I found that most of these appeared to be of the variant. This sample was pretty small so doesn't necessarily tell us much, apart from the fact that the crew carried both types with them on the flight.

andrewcli
Member

Posts: 328
From: La Jolla, CA, USA
Registered: Jul 2007

posted 01-20-2009 03:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for andrewcli   Click Here to Email andrewcli     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just keeping you honest Chris.

Actually it has been fun interacting with you regarding these patches - you get to learn a lot of things.

Regarding flown Apollo 9 patches, I did see the type I patch at the Astronaut Hall of Fame, it belonged to Dave Scott. Sorry, didn't take a picture of that when I was there.

Bill Hunt
Member

Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 01-21-2009 06:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bill Hunt   Click Here to Email Bill Hunt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Chris, I can help you out here as well. I actually have one of the original run of the crew patch, sans the red fill in the "D" in McDivitt's name, which you refer to here:
According to James McDivitt the crew returned a delivery of patches that were intended to be flown because they lacked the red "D".

Philip
Member

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 02-02-2019 09:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
In the Apollo 9 design, why was the D in McDivitt filled in red color?

edorr
Member

Posts: 64
From: Chelmsford, MA
Registered: Oct 2000

posted 02-02-2019 10:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for edorr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Apollo 9 was the "D" mission is Owen Maynard's planned sequence of Apollo flights. See the table here.

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