MADISON, Wis. -- Before he led the famous Apollo 13 mission, Jim Lovell was a Wisconsin Badger. Lovell passed away Friday at the age of 97, having lived the life of a true American hero.

Born in Cleveland in 1928, Lovell moved to Milwaukee when he was young. He graduated from Juneau High School and was an Eagle Scout. In 1952, he began his studies at UW-Madison, playing on the football team. After two years, he moved to the U.S. Naval Academy.

Lovell was selected to be an astronaut in 1962, serving as backup pilot for the Gemini 4 mission and backup commander for Gemini 9. He was Neil Armstrong's backup commander for the Apollo 11 mission, which saw Armstrong become the first person to walk on the surface of the moon.

In December 1965, Lovell finally got his first taste of space when he

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