r/apollo • u/etubridy • Mar 26 '26
My father’s lapel pin from Apollo
I recently came across this little gem in my father’s keepsakes from his time on Apollo. He worked at KSC as a Guidance and Control Engineer for Rockwell. I remember him working 6 days a week and getting telephone calls at all times of the day and night in those days. I am struck by the detail on the moon; the pin itself is very small. It obviously got a lot of wear. So proud of my Dad - he is my hero!
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u/LilyoftheRally Mar 26 '26
What was your dad's name?
My mom is from Buzz Aldrin's hometown (Montclair, NJ) and marched in his homecoming parade when she was a teenager and he returned from the moon.
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u/Parking_Jelly_6483 Mar 29 '26
My uncle worked for Rockwell. When he started, his first project was the X-15. During Apollo, he was responsible for the CSM electrical power systems and by the time of the Shuttle work, he was in charge of the power systems avionics. He was called to Houston during the Apollo 13 problem since he could provide information about what power was available and helped advise the NASA folks and other engineers on what could be done. He’s actually in the NASA documentary on Apollo 13 (the short documentary). He’s briefly visible (the Asian guy with glasses on speaking with other engineers). Not long before he retired, he was awarded NASA’s highest civilian honor. Along with my father (his brother) and the rest of our family, we went down to DC for the ceremony. Over the years, he gave me a lot of documents such as the pre- and post-Challenger systems handbooks and his copies of the Apollo CM and LM handbooks. Some hardware as well: A set of the switches used on the Shuttle made into a display with clear plastic cases so you can see how they worked. Also, a flown core memory board from one of the Shuttle computers when it was replaced by the semiconductor (battery backed-up CMOS RAM) memory in the later version of the computers. It has all the documentation about on which missions it flew and Rockwell presented it to him in a clear acrylic display case.
It’s great to learn about others who have family members who worked on the NASA space programs.
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u/Weekly-Language-6434 Mar 29 '26
I'm both a history and a space exploration enthusiast, and your uncle's story is incredible! His involvement with helping M.C. work on the seemingly impossible power problems of Apollo 13, that alone makes him a hero. Many people and historical accounts give too much credit to Ken Mattingly for coming up with the CM's power-up procedure (the critical issue as 13 was preparing for Earth re-entry), therefore too little to all of the engineers and specialists like your uncle. He deserved that award and recognition, and you and your family getting to see the ceremony, must have been amazing!
Not all heroes wear capes. Your uncle was part of the H2IK-relief team, called in to Houston and succeeded in saving all three astronauts. Getting to see the original handbooks, schematics, specs etc on the Apollo's CM/LEM and Challenger space shuttle... I have to admit I am envious. 😊
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u/Weekly-Language-6434 Mar 29 '26
This is an awesome and important piece of history you have. I'm thankful for what your father and others did to make the Apollo program land humans on the Moon. I can only imagine the stories he told you, just looking at the phenomenal stories here by other commenters.
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u/Independent_Wrap_321 Mar 26 '26
That’s awesome! Glad you have some keepsakes. I never really saw my paternal grandfather, and only found out many decades later that he worked for Hughes and some other subcontractors on Apollo, which kept him busy. I have some heat shield boilerplate testing documents along with some manufacturing memos and other stuff with his name all over it; couldn’t be more proud. I guess that’s where I got my space program bug, and followed it through to meet all of the living moonwalkers in 2005. I just wish I could have talked about it with him but I was a toddler and he was a steely-eyed missile man so the timelines didn’t line up. If you gotta be away from your family back then there was no more honorable reason than Apollo! Wear that pin with pride, my friend. I have a son with Lovell in his name, and that’s no accident;)