History
Legend states that on January 12, 1943 a group of fighter pilots formed a semi-secret drinking club and put prospective candidates for membership through a mock initiation.
The organization began as a way for pilots to receive discounts on drinks that were offered to members of private clubs. Today, the organization continues in the manner in which it was created; a social group of men and women of the highest esteem, who seek fun, comradery and a fine libation.
Famous Turtles
After delivering the commencement speech at Yale University’s graduation ceremony on June 11, 1962, President John F. Kennedy a was presented a turtle as a gift, and Kennedy quipped, “I’ll buy you a drink later.”
A membership card (shown here) for the “Interstellar Association of Turtles (Outer Shell Division)” signed by astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper and Wally Schirra sold at auction for $1,952 on May 5, 2011. Schirra was also famously recorded his allegiance to our Order on NASA’s Mercury Atlas 8 flight recorder:
According to Schirra, “After splashdown, several of us were in the admiral’s quarters on the recovery ship, Kearsarge. Walt Williams, in his fast-chatter way of talking, demanded to know what my answer to Deke had been. I flipped on the flight recorder and there it was: ‘Wally are you a turtle?’ ‘You bet your sweet ass I am.’” [Smithsonian Magazine]
