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Wonderful circa late 1966 ‘get well’ greeting card sent to Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Ober, a secretary in NASA’s Astronaut Office, measuring 9.5 x 8 open, signed inside in ballpoint and felt tip by a total of 13 Apollo astronauts, including the full Apollo 11 crew and a total of seven moonwalkers: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Alan Shepard, Dave Scott, Gene Cernan, John Young, James Lovell, Wally Schirra, Richard Gordon, Al Worden, Jim McDivitt, and Harrison Schmitt, who adds “Cut out the TV!! We need your eyes.” The inside is also signed by seven fellow secretaries from the Astronaut Office, including Martha Caballero, Georgie Girl, Charlene Stroman, Toni Zahn, and Ernestine Wade. The upper portion is inscribed by an unknown hand: “Do you have ‘German’ measles?? – you know where you got them!” The front of the card, which depicts several cartoon characters riding a carousel, is also signed by many members of the Astronaut Office administrative staff, which includes Caballero, Stroman, Zahn, Penny Study, Gay Alford, and Jayme Flowers. The front is also signed in blue felt tip, “Your boss,” which is likely Jim McDivitt, Ober’s supervisor, and in red felt tip, “Gordo,” ostensibly Mercury/Gemini astronaut Gordon Cooper. In fine condition.
Accompanied by a printed ‘Rap Sheet’ from March 12, 1991, signed by Ober, who describes several of her fellow secretaries and adds above: “I broke out with the measles in my early twenties, and my bosses in the Astronaut Office and their secretaries sent me this card.” A former owner of the card adds some handwritten notes to the bottom: “When I picked up the card, Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Ober had these few words to add: at the time of her illness she was a flight secretary for Flight ‘C’; Flight ‘C’ was headed by James McDivitt; she estimated the time of her illness as late 1966 (Aug-Oct).” This card seems to date not long before the Gemini 12 mission and before the shuffling of Apollo missions 8 and 9, which suggests why McDivitt, commander of Apollo 9, was the lead for Flight (Mission) C.
All proceeds from the sale of this lot will benefit RocketSTEM Media Foundation, an educational nonprofit devoted to inspiring the next generation of space explorers.
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