Official ring-bound NASA manual entitled “Apollo XI, LM-5, Flight Crew G & N Dictionary,” 6 x 8, over 100 pages, signed on the cardstock front cover in black ink, “Great call on the 1202 + 1201 alarms! Buzz Aldrin,” and on the inside front cover in black ballpoint, “Charlie Duke, Apollo 11 CAPCOM,” who adds above: “July 20, 1969, 1202 Alarm, ‘Roger. We got—we’re go on that alarm.’ / 1201 Alarm, ‘Roger. 1201 alarm. We’re go. Same type. We’re go.’” The front cover is also signed in black ink by Steve Bales, the guidance officer for the Apollo 11 mission, who adds “Apollo XI, GUIDO,” “We’re go on that flight,” and, on the ‘Alarms Section’ PGNS-13 page, he brackets the uppermost codes and writes in the bottom margin: “These caused some tense moments—S. Bales.” Additionally, the inside back cover is signed and inscribed by Jack Garman, an Apollo Guidance Computer support specialist for the Apollo 11 mission, who writes: “I prepared crib notes on all the alarm codes on a grid paper on my console. Two alarms flashed during the landing. On the first (1202) I told Steve Bales as long as it doesn’t reoccur, it’s fine. When the 2nd flashed (1201), I remember yelling into the loop ‘same type, we’re go,’ which echoed right up to the crew from Charlie Duke. Jack Garman, Lead, AGC Support (from the Apollo Guidance Program section), July 1969.” The front cover is stamp-dated June 11, 1969, and opposite the inside back cover is a copy of Garman’s alarm code 'cheat sheet.' In fine condition. Accompanied by two photos of Aldrin and Duke taken at the time of their signings, and a signed letter from Bales, who notes: “I believe there are very few copies remaining of this special document.”
As the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle descended from 30,000 feet to 4,000 feet over the lunar surface, the onboard computer guiding the landing appeared to detect a critical problem. The cryptic alarms that flashed on the mission control monitors in Houston—1202 and 1201—were handled expertly by the quick thinking and preparation of Steve Bales and Jack Garman. Only weeks prior, an Apollo 11 simulation had been errantly aborted when an alarm code occurred. To prevent this from happening during the mission, Garman compiled a ‘cheat sheet’ of abort codes for he and Bales to have on the ready. When 1202 and 1201 sounded, both men were prepared to assuage the worries of all involved, namely Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11 landed successfully and Garman received an award from NASA for his role in the mission. Bales later recalled, ‘Quite frankly, Jack, who had these things memorized said, 'that's okay', before I could even remember which group it was in.’ Garman’s quick reactions and in-depth knowledge led others on his team to give him the nickname ‘Gar-Flash.'
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