July 21, 1961 – Mercury program: Mercury-Redstone 4 Mission – Gus Grissom piloting Liberty Bell 7 becomes the second American to go into space (in a suborbital mission).
Grissom was scheduled to be the first man to walk on the Moon. Instead, Grissom was killed January 27, 1967, along with fellow astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee during a training exercise and pre-launch test for the Apollo 1 mission at the Kennedy Space Center.
Grissom was born in Mitchell, Indiana. Grissom was a master Mason and member of Mitchell Lodge 228.
July 21, 1969 – Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first men to walk on the Moon, during the Apollo 11 mission.
Buzz Aldrin is a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Masonic Knight Templar, and a Shriner.
Buzz flew the Supreme Council's flag on the moon. That flag is now on display in the Masonic Museum of the Supreme Council Scottish Rite Temple in Washington, D.C.
July 21, 1998 – Alan B. Shepard, American astronaut dies.
Shepard was the first American in space. He later commanded the Apollo 14 mission, and was the fifth person to walk on the moon.
While on the Moon, Alan Shepard famously played golf with a Wilson six-iron head attached to a lunar sample scoop handle. Despite thick gloves and a stiff spacesuit which forced him to swing the club with one hand only, Shepard struck two golf balls with a six iron, driving the second according to the official record, but what was actually his third stroke, as he jokingly put it, "miles and miles and miles."
The symbolism of playing golf on the Moon, a sport tied to Freemasonry, with a six iron, with three strokes was not lost on Shepard's Brother Masons.
The origins of golf in Scotland is linked to Masonry, and the membership of the early golf clubs were Freemasons.
For example, St. Andrews cornerstone was laid by Masonic Brothers.
Leith, July 2, 1768
This day William St Clair of Roslin, Esq., the undoubted representative of the Honourable and Heretable G.M.M of Scotland, In presence of Alexander Keith, Esq., Captain of the Honourable Company of Goffers, and other worthy Members of the Goffing Company, all Masons, The G.M., now in his GRAND CLIMAX of GOFFING, laid the Foundation of the GOFFING HOUSE in the S.E. corner thereof, by THREE STROKES with the Mallet.
ALEXR. KEITH, C. Wm. ST. CLAIR, G.M.M.
GMM stands for Grand Master Mason. The St Clairs of Roslyn were hereditary patrons of the Masons in Scotland for centuries and William St Clair was the first elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1736. He was Captain and prominent member of both the Leith and the St Andrews golf clubs. Apart from laying the foundation stone of the world's first golf clubhouse, his name is on the St Andrew’s minute shortening the Old Course to be eighteen holes in 1764. He died in 1778 and is buried in Roslyn Chapel.
The Royal Blackheath GC was open only to Freemasons until 1789 and, until 1825, it still contained a hardcore group of Masons called the Knuckle Club who played out-of-season to avoid the non-mason members.
According to the Masonic Service Association, one of the most frequently asked questions is:
Which Astronauts Are Masons?
Answer:
Edwin E. Aldrin
Montclair #144, Montclair, NJ
Leroy Gordon Cooper
Carbondale #82 Carbondale, CO
Don F. Eisele
L.B. Turner #732 Columbus, OH
Virgil I. Grissom (Deceased)
Mitchell #228, Mitchell, IN
Wally M. Schirra
Canaveral #339 Cocoa Beach, FL
Thomas P. Stafford
Western Star #138 Weatherford, OK
Edgar D. Michell*
Artesia #28 Artesia, NM
Paul J. Weitz
Lawrence #708 Erie, PA
James B. Irwin
Tajon Lodge No. 104 Colorado Springs, Co
Astronauts Who Have Fathers Who Are Or Were Masons
Allen Shepard
Vance Brand*
John Glenn*
Anthony England
William Pogue
Neil Armstrong
Edgar Mitchell
* Former DeMolay
Source: "Masonic Astronauts," Dunn's Rock Masonic Lodge #267 A.F. & A. M., Brevard, North Carolina.
Readers who want to explore this theme further could do worse than check out Richard Hoagland's history of NASA "Dark Mission".
ReplyDeleteAccording to Hoagland, the core of NASA was comprised of three groups -- the Freemasons, the Nazis and the magicians (Jack Parsons and friends).
Man, I HATE Golf!
ReplyDeleteEven though one may view it as an exercise in self-control & meditation, and even an attempt to attain a certain Zen-like state of mind in order to "be one with the ball", the fact that so many water and resources are wasted to run these private clubs where only rich men can play in the lawn with their little balls —sorry, couldn't help it :)— disgusts me. I'm with Michael Douglas' character in that movie "Falling Down": those clubs should be made into public parks where families could take their children and hold picnics.
And the Moon? Now THAT is the ultimate private golf club!! :-P
Origins of golf AND baseball tied to Freemasonry? I've learned them right here on your blog ! =D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the light!
Hiya, here is another candidate for your list
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Binnie
there are a family of Binnie's buried at Athelstanesford - where the St. Andrew's Cross was seen in the sky before a decisive "Scottish victory".
I shared his name for a few years, divorces, remarriages, adoptions, altered it.
I am interested in the golfing aspect, especially with Donald Trump and his development, plus 2009 Homecoming - golf, whisky and freemason Robert Burns.
cheers, brian
Did any of you know, GOLF is an acronym? It literally means Gentleman Only Ladies Forbidden.
ReplyDeleteG.O.L.F.
It was centered around the idea that it was for men to gather without the participation of their wives. As for it being linked to Freemasons, that in itself shows a level of contempt they have for women.
The term Grand Masters from Freemasonry is also applied to GOLF as in Grand Masters Championship Tournaments.
ReplyDeleteV