As America celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, the promotional products industry should be celebrating as well.

After all, the flag that Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin planted was produced by a promo supplier, according to Bob Caggiano, vice president of sales at Annin Flagmakers (asi/36256).

Although NASA has never officially confirmed the manufacturer or origin of the flag, Caggiano is convinced it’s an Annin flag. “Numerous and multiple unofficial sources from NASA have confirmed over the years that the flag is ours,” he told The Burlington County Times.

On July 3, 1969, the space agency issued a press release stating that several American flags headed to the moon had been purchased at “local stores” in Houston. The flag labels were removed, NASA said, and “for this reason, the name of the manufacturer cannot be determined.” Later interviews with NASA personnel revealed that the flags were purchased at Sears in Houston by NASA secretaries. However, another NASA account states the flags were purchased through a “government stock catalogue.”

Annin has supplied American flags to NASA since the space agency’s inception in 1958, Caggiano said, and would have been in the government supply catalogue. In 1969, Annin also supplied Sears with its American flags. Caggiano claims more confirmation came in 1972 when the company’s sales manager, the late Bill Dwiggins, was told by his contact at NASA that the moon flag was made by Annin.

As to why NASA has kept the origin of the flag a secret for half a century, Caggiano said it has to do with Tang, the powdered orange drink made by General Foods. In 1962, it was chosen by NASA as part of the astronauts’ space menu, which General Foods capitalized on as part of its marketing campaign. NASA wasn’t happy about that, Caggiano said, and didn’t want to lend any more credibility to other products.

Roseland, NJ-based Annin is the nation’s oldest and largest American flag manufacturer. Since 1847, the company has been making American flags, which have been displayed at every presidential inauguration since Zachary Taylor, Caggiano said. They’ve also been carried into every war since then, he added.