635 a
118:22:46 Cernan: Yes, sir. How about right there? (Pause) (We’ll) take a couple (of pictures) this way, and we’ll take a couple that way. How’s that?
118:22:57 Schmitt: Oh, let me get over to the other side.
118:22:59 Cernan: We can get the Rover in the background.
118:23:01 Schmitt: Yeah, and the LM.
118:23:05 Cernan: It does wave when you do that.
118:23:09 Parker (Mission Control): We’ve got a beautiful picture of you guys up (on the screen) down there (in the front of the Control Room).
118:23:15 Cernan: Let me tell you, Bob. This flag is a beautiful picture. You see that?
118:23:20 Schmitt: Okay, it’s partially covering the Rover, but I think it’s a pretty good shot.
635 b
The LM is behind the flag and the Lunar Rover behind Cernan. “The handle of his geology hammer is sticking out of a shin pocket on his right leg” (ALSJ caption for AS17-134-20380).
118:23:51 Cernan: Houston...
118:23:52 Schmitt: That’s beautiful.
118:23:53 Cernan: ... This has got to be one of the most proud moments of my life. I guarantee you. (Pause) (To Schmitt) Why don’t you get a close-in one and we’ll trade cameras.
118:24:06 Schmitt: Houston, I don’t know how many of you are aware of this, but this flag has flown in the MOCR (Mission Operations Control Room at the Johnson Space Center in Houston) since Apollo 11. And we very proudly deploy it on the Moon, to stay for as long as it can, in honor of all those people who have worked so hard to put us here and to put every other crew here and to make the country, United States, and mankind, something different than it was.