Brian Lawrence wrote:
Stafford was ranked behind Armstrong throughout Gemini - he only flew 9
because
See was killed. He was supposed to fly 12 before moving on to Apollo. Because
he flew 9 in June 1966 he was available for Apollo training in July.
Armstrong,
as backup CDR of Gemini 11 wasn't available for Apollo training until
September
1966. At that time (September '66), Stafford was assigned as Borman's CMP
while
Armstrong was just starting Apollo training. Stafford was "promoted" to CDR
in
December after about five months Apollo training - Armstrong was still 2-3
months behind him

Eh, dunno if one can say "throughout Gemini". Stafford was originally pegged
for Gemini 3 with Alan Shepard. Who knows what that one would have done to the
rotation. But, to make a long story short, the deaths of See and Bassett, the
Apollo 1 fire and the Apollo 8/9 swap were the big factors in deteriming who
walked on the moon by requiring changes in the flight rotation. To paraphrase
"Deke!", "it could have just as easily been Tom Stafford or Pete Conrad".
Stafford was also regarded as the strongest guy in rendevous among the Nine.

It is kind of curious how Deke ranked the New Nine. Clearly he felt McDivitt
and Borman were the strongest, and Elliot See the weakest. Armstrong he clearly
felt was very capable as Deke never gave him anything less than crew commander,
but he was kind of "bringing up the rear" in that category in Gemini, and was
one of the last of the Nine to move over to Apollo because of that.

-A.L.