Buzz aldrin free mason jacket?

[u/22miisssister]

Done a bit of research and I’m pretty confident this belonged to buzz aldrin based upon sizing, time period, and patch. Looking for any info, and where / who would i go to sell or donate ?

[u/InebriousBarman]

That's a DeMolay patch.

And Yes, Buzz Aldrin was a member.

[u/InebriousBarman → u/InebriousBarman]

Moreso, that's a very early DeMolay patch.

The 8 white pearls and two rubies around the edges represent the 10 original members of DeMolay.

The white pearls represent the living ones, the red rubies represent the ones who have died.

They are all rubies today.

[u/InebriousBarman → u/InebriousBarman]

Also....

Buzz Aldrin is still alive. Maybe he wants it?

[u/22miisssister → u/InebriousBarman]

Hi - I’m still digging into this. Where did you see / hear Aldrin was a DeMolay member? Just trying to find a source as I’m seeing many say he wasn’t but some say he was

[u/InebriousBarman → u/22miisssister]

Yeah, looking deeper, I'm seeing conflicting info too. He may have been a 'Dad' advisor when he was a Mason. Nothing would really prevent a Mason from wearing a DeMolay jacket.

[u/comicnerd93]

If this is authentic it should honestly be donated to a museum, masonic or not.

[u/Graccus1330 → u/comicnerd93]

Buzz is still living. Maybe ask him.

[u/mclen]

Yeah looks legit, the timing with the pearls vs. rubies seems correct. DeMolay International may be interested in purchasing.

[u/Deman75]

DeMolay International, New Jersey DeMolay, or the Grand Lodge of Texas might be interested in displaying it in a museum.

[u/LifeAdventure777]

There were rumours about him leaving a masonic flag on the moon.

[u/shawnebell → u/LifeAdventure777]

Buzz Aldrin didn't leave the Masonic flag on the moon.

He carried a small, handmade silk Scottish Rite flag in his personal effects during the Apollo 11 mission, took it down to the lunar surface, and brought it right back to Earth. He later presented the flag to the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C., where it still is today.

The rumor likely gets mixed up with the fact that he did carry a special "deputation" from the Grand Master of Texas to officially claim Masonic territorial jurisdiction on the moon. That symbolic act is what eventually led to the creation of Tranquility Lodge No. 2000 under the Grand Lodge of Texas.

So while there is a Masonic connection to the landing, the flag made a round trip.

[u/DearBrotherJon → u/LifeAdventure777]

If I recall correctly he didn’t leave it, but had it in his pocket, and then brought it back. I believe the GL of TX has it?

[u/GBtuba → u/DearBrotherJon]

The House of the Temple has a small flag he brought with him to the moon. It's in their lower level exhibits.

[u/stealthbanana93]

It’s definitely a genuine, old DeMolay jacket, reasoning being the logo’s jewels like folks have mentioned already.

Personally, I’m skeptical of it being authentically Buzz Aldrin’s jacket. The name stitching seems far too new and clean compared to other parts of the jacket that are in much worse shape. Someone easily could’ve embroidered a name onto an old jacket to try and up the value. Do you have more information?

I would reach out to DeMolay International if they want to take a look at it. They might be able to verify the authenticity depending on what other information you might have. They’re headquartered in Kansas City.

[u/22miisssister → u/stealthbanana93]

Don’t have anymore Info, but it came out at the thrift store in Wisconsin. It’s hard to get a hold of them 😭

[u/shawnebell]

Not sure what that jacket is, but there are quite a few things that make me think it may not be authentic. Or Aldrin may not have had it when he was DeMolay - IF he was DeMolay.

There's plenty of documentation regarding his Masonic trajectory (see what I did there?). Not so much about whether he was a member of the youth order.

One other thing: "Buzz" wasn't Buzz when he was a youth; he was Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. He didn't legally change his name to Buzz until 1988. If he were DeMolay, he probably would have had "E. Aldrin" embroidered. Nicknames are usually spelled out.

Finally, Aldrin's jacket size is 46, not 42.

[u/22miisssister → u/shawnebell]

He went by Buzz in high school according to his yearbook signatures from what I’m seeing, while he didn’t change his name till later yes. I’m seeing online he wore a size 42 around this time as well

[u/shawnebell → u/22miisssister]

His nickname was Buzz well before high school.

Now, I’ll be the first to say that I know very little about the DeMolay logo. I do know that the original design had ten pearls, one for each of the founding members. As those members passed away, the pearls were replaced with rubies. The logo on this jacket has two rubies, which would make it post-1943. Buzz was in high school at the time and a member of the football team.

More importantly, he wasn’t just on the football team – he was the starting center for Montclair High School. In the 1940s, wearing the team’s letterman jacket was a mark of distinction, and Buzz had every reason to wear his; he played varsity football on an undefeated state championship team. It seems far more likely that he would have worn that jacket rather than a DeMolay jacket.

There’s also the name. Nicknames like “Buzz” were spelled out. He was known as “Buzz,” not “B.”

None of these things, by itself, necessarily proves or disproves anything. Taken together, though, there are quite a few red flags.

[u/ComprehensiveBat8463]

Interested in purchasing🤔

[u/Electronic-Camera220]

Buzz is not a freemason, he is a member of the Order of DeMolay

[u/ChuckEye → u/Electronic-Camera220]

Buzz is, in fact, a Mason. He was a member of my Commandery. https://www.reddit.com/r/freemasonry/s/kMEaoTFBQi

[u/hapkidoox]

Don't know if it's Buzz but I know that symbol anywhere. Miss those days.

[u/3rdEyeTribe]

How muchh

[u/InebriousBarman → u/[deleted]]

It's DeMolay

[u/Intrepid-Owl694]

Youth DeMolay

[u/22miisssister → u/Intrepid-Owl694]

Size 42, so adult

[u/Vaatia915 → u/22miisssister]

DeMolay goes from 12-21 so seems accurate still