James A. Lovell Jr., a Distinguished Eagle Scout and retired U.S. Navy Captain, was recently presented NESA’s Distinguished Service Award by NESA President Frank D. Tsuru. The 94-year-old former NASA Astronaut received the award at his Illinois home earlier this month, coinciding with the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 13 Mission he commanded (April 11-17th). Several NESA representatives attended.
Lovell was recognized for his key role as Chairman of NESA’s Board of Regents for 10 years during the 1980s. During that time, he led national efforts to identify, recognize, and engage Distinguished Eagle Scouts in ways that positively impacted nearly every BSA council.
Among Lovell’s long list of awards are BSA’s Silver Buffalo Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and two Navy Distinguished Flying Crosses. He held the record for the most time spent in space of more than 715 hours until the mid-1970s, having flown in four missions, and served in backup roles for several Gemini and Apollo flights, including fellow Eagle Scout Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 lunar landing.
