MILWAUKEE — For Dan Gille, the memory of Apollo 8's historic Christmas Eve orbit around the moon in 1968 remains vivid.
What many Milwaukee residents may not realize is that a small piece of our community made that journey alongside astronaut Jim Lovell.
Lovell passed away at the age of 97 on Thursday.
Previous Coverage: Apollo 13 moon mission leader with Milwaukee roots James Lovell dies at 97
"I remember distinctly when they orbited the Moon for the first time, was that Christmas Eve in 1968 and they read a passage from the Bible," said Gille, a committee member at the Milwaukee Scout Heritage Museum.
Lovell, who grew up in Milwaukee and attended the former Juneau High School, carried a patch from the Milwaukee County Council's Mikano Lodge aboard the Apollo 8 spacecraft.
"I was always very interested in the space program, and I thought that was just a remarkable thing," Gille said.
The patch couldn't be worn on Lovell's spacesuit because it wasn't fireproof, but it was stored onboard and completed the historic lunar orbit. After returning to Earth, Lovell sent the patch back to the Milwaukee County Council which has since become the Three Harbors Council.
"He thought it would be a nice thing for them to have. It's really neat," Gille said.
TMJ4 News learned that Lovell earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1952, scouting's highest achievement. Gille believes Lovell's scouting experience helped shape his future success.
"There's a lot of astronauts that came through the scouting program and are Eagle Scouts, and it definitely prepares people for whatever career they choose for themselves," Gille explained.
This preparation likely served Lovell well during the anxiety-inducing moments of his later Apollo 13 mission, which faced life-threatening complications in space.
The patch remained with the Milwaukee County Council for years before being loaned to the National Scouting Museum in New Mexico, where thousands of visitors see it annually alongside Lovell's letter.
Gille visited the museum last month to view the historic items again.
"He's kind of a hero for me," Gille said.
For many Milwaukeeans who remember the early days of space exploration, Lovell represents not just a pioneering astronaut, but a hometown connection to one of humanity's greatest adventures.
This story was reported by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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