posted 05-16-2023 07:51 PM               

If it passes the House, it must be introduced and pass in the Senate before it can be enacted by the President's signature.

Schneider Introduces the Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., Congressional Gold Medal Act

On this day 53 years ago, April 17th, 1970, Captain James Arthur Lovell Jr. (USN-Ret) and his fellow crew members brought the Apollo 13 mission safely back to Earth. Today Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) introduced legislation to recognize Captain Lovell with the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of his service to our country and leadership in advancing United States space exploration.

Captain Lovell was assigned to NASA's Gemini and Apollo space missions, and in 1968 was one of the first humans to reach the moon's orbit with Apollo 8. During the Apollo 13 mission, an onboard explosion breached the command module's air tanks and affected several essential functions, including water and fuel supplies. Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert, with the help of NASA staff in Houston, safely redirected Apollo 13 around the Moon and back to Earth. In order to keep his team alive, Lovell handwrote calculations to keep the ship on the correct trajectory and reprogrammed its life support systems. Under his heroic leadership as Spacecraft Commander, they safely landed in the Pacific Ocean after four days of travel in freezing temperatures on April 17, 1970.

Upon their return, President Richard Nixon awarded the team of three with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Lovell retired from the Navy and NASA in 1973, then shifted his career towards business. He was the President of Fisk Telephone Systems, Inc. in 1977, then appointed to Group Vice President of Business Communication Systems at Centel Corporation in 1981. Lovell became an Executive Vice President and Board of Directors member at Centel before retiring in 1991.

Congressman Brad Schneider said, "Captain Jim Lovell is an American hero whose bravery still serves as incredible inspiration to all the world more than five decades later. Lovell's career as an astronaut, where he commanded the historic Apollo 13 mission, displays his abundant determination, leadership, and strength. This Congressional Gold Medal would be a small thanks to Captain Lovell for his fearlessness and uniquely American ingenuity. I am proud to have Captain Lovell as a part of Illinois's 10th district community and want to thank him for all he has done for the U.S. and our community".

Susan Lovell, Jim Lovell's daughter, said, "I am greatly honored that Congressman Brad Schneider would like to award my father the Congressional Gold Medal. This truly would be a humbling experience for him. He has no doubt lead an extraordinary life of service to his country and IS an inspiration to young and old people around the world."