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Author
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Topic: Apollo helo pilots and frogmen autographs
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bobslittlebro
Member Posts: 315
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 03-30-2025 05:43 AM
   
Not much has been posted about the Apollo prime recovery ship (PRS) helo recovery crews or the underwater demolition team (UDT) frogmen. Presented below are: - Apollo 8 PRS USS Yorktown prime helo recovery crew signed cover
- Apollo 8 UDT-Frogman signed cover
- USS Hornet PRS helo crew signed Beck cover
- Apollo 12 PRS Captain cover signed by the helo crew
- Apollo 13 PRS USS Iwo Jima Beck helo crew signed cover
- Apollo 17 PRS USS Ticonderoga cover signed by eight UDT-Frogmen noteworthy for a rare machine cancel with a late Dec 27th cancel date
 
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Axman
Member Posts: 732
From: Derbyshire UK
Registered: Mar 2023
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posted 03-30-2025 08:06 AM
I've never been sure of where the helicopters 'sat' in the recovery missions. Were the helicopters themselves NASA, Navy or Air Force craft? And if Navy, were the pilots assigned to the PRS, or a separate unit? And were the frogmen members of the helicopter team, or the PRS, or neither? |
bobslittlebro
Member Posts: 315
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 03-30-2025 08:22 AM
The helicopters were Navy working as a team with NASAA. The helo pilots, swim teams, UDT and frogman were assigned to the recovery ships. |
Axman
Member Posts: 732
From: Derbyshire UK
Registered: Mar 2023
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posted 03-30-2025 09:01 AM
An impressive selection you have. I only have a couple of pilot signed covers for Apollo 13 and 14. Whenever I have seen crew signed covers up on eBay in the past it has usually taken me too long to verify before somebody has put an offer in. A very niche collecting subject, with an awful lot of pre-knowledge required. |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1842
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 03-30-2025 09:58 AM
Great topic Tim! And like Alan, I never did much with the helo pilots and UDT diver autographs. Except for one...Back when I lived in Houston, Jim Lewis gave a talk on his experience with Liberty Bell 7. Lewis was the pilot for Hunt Club 1 that tried valiantly to keep Grissom's capsule from sinking, but finally had to cut it loose to save the helicopter and crew. So here's the only helo pilot or UDT diver auto that I have...  Lewis gave me a little tiny autograph next to the little tiny artwork of the floating capsule and helo. Great guy! |
bobslittlebro
Member Posts: 315
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 03-30-2025 10:10 AM
Thanks Alan, I really enjoy collecting PRS covers by Astronauts and Recovery personnel. |
bobslittlebro
Member Posts: 315
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 03-30-2025 10:18 AM
That's a great MR-4 signed cover Dennis. I don't believe I've ever seen his autograph on a cover before!!! Ya got an extra one?What's interesting is after Grissom's MR-4 flight after Gus had to make a quick escape from his sinking spacecraft and almost drowning the Navy and NASA made it standard procedure to have Navy Frogman in the water to assist in the recovery. |
ejectr
Member Posts: 2038
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-30-2025 11:15 AM
I met and talked to the pilot of the chopper that picked up the Apollo 7 crew. He was a friend of my company's mid-Atlantic sales manager and was invited to a company party by him. He was more amazed at me knowing the name of the Apollo crew. Go figure... |
Bob M
Member Posts: 2020
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 03-30-2025 11:54 AM
Great covers, Tim! While I have next to nothing on UDT/helo spacecraft recovery covers, I do have this UDT recovery team sheet signed by the ASTP UDT guys (Underwater Demolition Team, aka frogmen).In doing some research on helicopter recoveries of Apollo spacecraft, I found some very interesting information. Famous and historic Helicopter 66 was used for six Apollo recoveries and Tim's covers have autographs of many of the crew members, including Cdr. Donald S. Jones on his Apollo 8 and 11 covers. Donald Jones went on to command the US Navy's 3rd Fleet, but historic Helicopter 66 had a sad fate. Instead of being a centerpiece of a historic aircraft display in a museum, as it deserved, it crashed in the Pacific Ocean, with one crew member critically injured and later dying. Later recovery efforts failed to raise Helicopter 66 and the floor of the Pacific appears to be its final resting place.  |
bobslittlebro
Member Posts: 315
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 03-30-2025 02:54 PM
Thats an interesting UDT ASTP signed sheet Bob. I have one similar for Apollo 15 recovery.That sure is sad to hear about Helo #66. She was used in quite a few recoveries. |
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