zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

Thanks again for the Reply Chuck.

I realized that the Mark 2 was made after apollo 7. I wonder if the jacket can give us some details on the original date. The apollo 7 patch really does look it was cut from a jacket. It has blue material on the back of it. I will do a nice scan of it today.

The jacket is a chrome / silver bomber style jacket with fur around the collar. I cannot find any reference pictures yet.

I will take some pictures soon.

: Re: No documentation that it ever occurred...
: Posted By: Joseph Date: 4/1/0819:28 GMT

: In Response To: No documentation that it ever
: occurred... (Chicagoland Chuck Maddox)

: Thanks for the Response Chuck.

: I am asking because I have recently came in
: possession of a few Nasa artifacts as well
: as a SpeedmasterPro Mark 2. Hi Joseph.

: Ok, I'm interested to hear about them.

: Here is the story:

: A family friend in his late 80's had passed
: away recently. John originally was a Pilot
: in WW2 for Germany. After the war he moved
: on to work for U.S government
: counter-intelligence, and much later worked
: as a district manager for the Pinkerton's
: company. OK...

: John had known my Mother for more than 15
: years and had no family left. Much of the
: time I spent with him I heard many amazing
: stories. One story he told me was about how
: he got his Omega Speedmaster Mark2. The
: Mark II a subject near and dear to my heart!

: It's been about 5 years so I will do my best
: to remember the story. Basically he told me
: that a Russian submarine was off the coast
: of Florida spying and interfering with
: NASA's space launch. (Sorry I don't remember
: details). John had said that he consulted
: NASA / US Government and was given the Mark2
: by Schirra for helping them. John had also
: shown me an Apollo 7 Patch that "was
: cut from a NASA jacket" and a genuine
: NASA flight jacket withJohns name on it.
: Ok, Truth be told... Having met Wally
: Schirra and spoken with him at length last
: year about 10 weeks before his passing, this
: sort of thing does not sound out of line at
: all with something that Wally would do.
: Wally certainly came across as a very
: genuine and personable guy, just as you'd
: expect from seeing him on TV and the like.
: He was a great guy!

: Since John's death I now have the patch
: http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo-7/apollo-7-patch.jpg
: ), the omega Mark2, and the NASA Jacket
: with his name on it. I was also told that
: the Mark2 had been in space. Here's the
: thing... As I mentioned the Mark II was
: released in 1969. It's "birth
: year" is very well documented. There
: isn't really any doubt assocated with that.
: And the Apollo 7 mission occured in October
: of 1968. It'd seem very unlikely that a Mark
: II flew with the Apollo 7 crew. And since
: Apollo 7 was Wally's last space mission, It
: would seem unlikely that it flew with Wally.
: Now it may well have flown at a later date
: with another Astronaut, and either Wally
: lent/gave it so it could be "Space
: Flown", etc. or somehow Wally came into
: possession of it somehow. I just don't see
: how to reconcile the date of birth of the
: watch with the Apollo 7 mission. That's all.

: I will post some pictures of the jacket,
: patch, andwatch soon. Cool! I look
: forward to them!

: John did not say the watch was from Apollo 7
: nor does he have any pictures of him with
: NASA. Too bad, but it's still a very
: interesting story. Could very well be true
: too!

: The story is pretty amazing if it is true.
: Absolutely.

: John didn't seem to be the type to make up
: stories. I was shown so many of his old
: pictures and was told their story. I really
: should of made more of an effort to get
: details about the watch and jacket before he
: passedaway. I was amazed at the stories
: Wally told when I was around him last
: February. We all need to be like sponges
: around these guys and to share and pass
: along their experieces or we've lost
: something truely grand!

: (R.I.P John). Godspeed Wally!
: -- Chuck

: ChuckMaddox

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