At least they have flags on their spacesuits.
Except for a hardware delay, Pete Conrad would have been the first man on the Moon.
I think Armstrong was the perfect man for the job. It’s funny how those things turn out.
Original line ups
Apollo 7 Prime Shirra, Eisle, Cunningham
Backup Stafford, Young, Cernan
Apollo 8 Prime McDivitt, Scott, Schweikart
Backup Conrad, Gordon, Bean
Apollo 9 Prime Borman, Collins, Anders
Backup Armstrong, Lovell, Aldrin
Apollo 10 Prime Stafford, Young, Cernan
Backup Cooper, Eisle, Mitchell
When the LM was not available till 1969, McDivitt opted to stay with the shakedown mission. Slayton offered the moon orbit mission to Borman who jumped on it like a tiger. this caused a swap out of both the Prime & Backup crews. Collins needed neck surgery, so he was replaced by Lovell. He came back healthy in time to be placed on the 11 mission. Irregardless, Conrad had a shot at the 11 mission if the hardware had been available on time, but Stafford and Cernan would have been the 1st guys on the moon if that happened. Fate has a way of intervening, and I haven’t met an astronaut yet from the 1st 3 groups that didn’t think that history picked the right man for the job.
Pete Conrad way a great guy. My Dad knew him, met him when I was 17.