Flown 'Apollo IX LM-3 Final Flight Crew G&N Dictionary' Dated February 24, 1969 (Echoes-From-Apollo)

Here is my 'flown', complete, 'Apollo IX LM-3 Final Flight Crew G&N Dictionary', Part Number 'SKB32100016-301', Serial Number '1001', date February 24, 1969. This was Apollo 9 Commander James McDivitts' personal copy and flew in space with him throughout the Apollo 9 Mission. He took this into the Lunar Module and used it during the first ever flight of the LM in a space environment.

Apollo 9, was the third manned mission in the United States Apollo space program and the first flight of the Command/Service Module (CSM) with the Lunar Module (LM). Its' three-person crew, consisting of Commander James McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David Scott, and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart, tested several aspects critical to landing on the Moon, including the LM engines, backpack life support systems, navigation systems, and docking maneuvers. The mission was the second manned launch of a Saturn V rocket.

After launching on March 3, 1969, McDivitt, Scott, and Schweickart spent ten days in low Earth orbit. They performed the first manned flight of a LM, the first docking and extraction of a LM, two spacewalks, and the second docking of two manned spacecraft.

McDivitt and Schweickart later test-flew the LM, and practiced separation and docking maneuvers between the LM and CSM in Earth orbit. They flew the LM up to 111 miles (179 km) from the CSM, testing the engine on the descent stage, subsequently jettisoning the LM descent stage, and used the LM ascent stage to return to, and dock with, the CSM. This LM test flight represented the first flight of a manned spacecraft that was not equipped to reenter the Earth's atmosphere...

AND THIS PIECE OF SPACE HISTORY WAS WITNESS TO IT ALL!!!

'APOLLO IX LM-3 FINAL FLIGHT CREW G&N DICTIONARY'
FRONT COVERS

On 3/24/2012 my wife and I met with Apollo 9 Commander McDivitt in Tucson AZ. During this meeting McDivitt was shown this Apollo 9 LM G&N Dictionary and personally confirmed that this item flew with him on the Apollo 9 Mission. While looking through the Dictionary, McDivitt showed us page 'PGNS 1/Star List', and advised that as a tribute to Apollo 1 Astronauts Virgil I. 'Gus' Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Ed White II, the Apollo 9 crew named three stars listed on this page after these three Apollo 1 astronauts, all of whom perished in a fire on the launch pad in January 1967. McDivitt showed us that Star Number 3, listed as 'Navi' in the Dictionary, was actually 'Ivan' spelled backward in honor of Grissom whose middle name was 'Ivan'. He advised that Star Number 17, listed as 'Regor' in the Dictionary, was actually 'Roger' spelled backward in honor of Roger Chaffee. He advised that Star Number 20, listed as 'Dnoces' in the Dictionary, was actually 'Second' spelled backward in honor of Edward H. White II (the Second).

MYSELF, MCDIVITT, AND THE DICTIONARY

I am holding the Dictionary.
McDivitt is holding my other Apollo 9 flown item,
a 'Docking and Post Docking Leading to LM Jettison'
cue card/checklist which was also flown in space with
McDivitt on Apollo 9.

PGNS-1
STAR LIST

OTHER INTERESTING PAGES WITH
WHAT APPEAR TO BE HANDWRITTEN NOTATIONS

PGNS-33

PGNS-34

PGNS-33b

PGNS-41

PGNS-43

Since obtaining this item in 2011, I had been searching for either an original, or copy of, the Apollo 9 'Stowage List' documenting that this item was listed as part of the Apollo 9 Mission. Initially I reached out to other collectors and in 2013 was sent an email by another collector whom I believe had a vintage Apollo 9 'Stowage List' that this item was indeed included in this 'Stowage List'. However, for some reason, this collector was reluctant to send me a complete copy of the actual 'Stowage List' itself. So I continued my search.

In 2018 I came across the following entry in the National Archives website: 'Composite Apollo Stowage Lists 1967-1975 National Archives Identifier: 656392 Local Identifier: NRF-255-214 Record Group 255 (Apollo 9) Contacts National Archives at Fort Worth (RM-FW)'. Soooo, for a small fee, I was able to obtain a complete copy of the 'Stowage List' through the National Archives.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES
APOLLO 9 'STOWAGE LIST'
COVER