Living History is an ongoing series showcasing just a small assortment of the more than 350,000 items housed at The Salvation Army Heritage Centre in Toronto. This month, we showcase its most extraterrestrial holding.

Not only does the Salvation Army flag fly around the world—in 134 countries, to be exact—but it’s also been out of this world!

In 1972, three miniature Salvation Army flags were given to NASA by Ruth Sinclair Chatley, wife of John Chatley Jr., the volunteer chairman of the Philadelphia Salvation Army Advisory Board. They were then passed to Commander John W. Young, leader of the Apollo 16 mission, the fifth one to land on the moon. A highly respected and decorated pilot for the U.S. Navy and a NASA astronaut, the commander considered it a pleasure to take the flags along because he deeply appreciated the work of The Salvation Army.

Once back from the space trip in April 1972, one Army flag was donated to the Franklin Institute Museum in Philadelphia. The other two remained with The Salvation Army. Today, one is on display at The Salvation Army’s divisional headquarters in Philadelphia. The third flag was initially given to the Canadian Salvation Army’s then-territorial leader, Commissioner Arnold Brown, at a youth congress in Toronto in 1975 before being donated to the Heritage Centre, along with a framed testimonial letter from Commander Young.

As can be seen, the reach of The Salvation Army is long, even to the moon and back. What terrestrial body will the flag fly on next?

Photo: Camilo Mejia