A decorated and accomplished individual, having served as a retired United States Air Force colonel, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, businessman, rancher, and NASA astronaut, with a distinguished career marked by numerous achievements.
Notably, he held the esteemed position of commander of Apollo 8, a pioneering mission that made history by being the first to successfully fly around the Moon, with his crewmates Jim Lovell and Bill Anders. This remarkable feat earned him a prestigious recognition, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, in acknowledgment of his groundbreaking accomplishment.
As of 2021, he holds the distinction of being the oldest living former American astronaut, with a mere eleven-day advantage over his colleague Jim Lovell, a testament to his remarkable longevity and enduring legacy in the field of space exploration.
