posted 06-23-2012 10:34 PM               

Space Cover #167: A Gemini 4 Mystery Cover

Here is a mystery maybe you can help solve for me! Pictured above are several covers from the USS Everglades for the Gemini 4 mission. In researching the Gemini 4 recovery ships there is no mention of the USS Everglades officially participating in the mission. Alternately, researching the USS Everglades there is no mention of the Gemini 4 mission in any of the items I have read. In addition, the covers are dated JULY 6, 1965 but the Gemini 4 capsule splashed down on JUNE 7, 1965. If the USS Everglades was involved, why would such a late date (by almost a month! or did the postal clerk put wrong month in the postmark device?) be applied to the covers?

Was the USS Everglades involved? If so, in what capacity? What points to some reference of the USS Everglades, at the very least, being mentioned as being invloved in the mission is based on the covers themselves as two of the covers were created by well known space cover servicers.

The top cover was actually one of the first covers I obtained as I bought a large quantity of recovery ship covers off of a price list from renowned space cover servicer Bob Boudwin. Bob Boudwin was the only servicer to obtain many of the "rare" recovery ships due to his research about the space flights as he tried to obtain covers for the flights events from launch to recovery including as many of the recovery ships and tracking stations as possible. An example of this is Bob obtained covers from the USS Skill for Gemini 4. The USS Everglades cover does have the Beck "circle" RS which describes the Gemini 4 mission. Being a new collector I didn't even think to ask him about the mystery at the time — I was just happy to add another cover to my collection!

The middle cover I obtained at a philatelic show - it was in a dealer's "space box." Located with the other Gemini 4 recovery ships addressed to the same collector (with the same flag cachet).

The bottom cover is one created by space cover servicer George Goldey who printed his Goldcraft Cachet on the cover describing it for Gemini 4. Similar to Bob Boudwin, George Goldey serviced covers from Gemini recovery ships and obtained many of the "rare" ones like Bob did.

So... why would multiple people including two well known space cover servicers, send covers to the USS Everglades for the Gemini 4 mission if it wasn't involved? What information did they have to say it would be involved? Have you seen any others? Any answers? So if you find one...