European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 03, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse From Page ?.,. T. With Silver Gray hair and a bronzed Southwest Tan he looks like a business executive who has slipped away on a slow summer morning to kill a few hours at the movies -.".v./. A for Sci that he s seen the movie five times already Lovell chuckles in Earnest when his wife played by. Kathleen Quinlan tells Haison s wife Mary played by Tracy Reiner that the Nasa wives response to Media questions about their husbands missions into space is proud thrilled and that became a big joke amongst the wives Lovell said while finishing off his Popcorn. His fellow astronauts nicknamed him Smilin Jim because he had a Quick wit and a Grin to match. A scene in which his Mother Blanche asks Neil a Armstrong and Edwin Buzz Aldrin the first men to walk on the Moon whether they were in the space program too reduced him to teary cycad was mom he volunteered. A the film s director Ron Howard Felt free however to take some artistic License with the storyline. Lovell pointed but that he and Liaise had no qualms about Swigert a last minute replacement for Thomas Ken Mattingly ii who was bumped after being exposed to the measles. In the film Lovell and Haisch question whether Swigert has been adequately trained to Pilot the command module. But Lovell was t disturbed by such cinematic lib erties. Indeed even Lovell who has a Crater on the Moon named in his Honor was impressed with the film s authenticity from the tractor Crawler used to haul the rockets to the launch pad to the ban Lon shirts and $170 Omega watches favored by the Astro nauts \. It s really amazing he said softly his Blue eyes glued to the celluloid image of Mission control. He was momentarily lost in thought. Everything. The instrument panels the console switches. That s exactly what it looks like c Lovell who wrote the Book with Jeffrey Kluger said he and his Crew match wanted to write a Book about Apollo 13 As soon As they returned Home but tic Var got around to it because of Job responsibilities. Swigert Ift the National aeronautics and space administration after the Mission and died of Lymphoma in 1982, shortly before he was to be sworn in As a congressman fro Colorado. Raise left Nasa in 1970 to work for the Grumman corp. Mattingly flew aboard Apollo l6 in 1972. And Lovell left the Astro naut corps in 1973, working first for a Marine company and later in telecommunications. Over the years he was approached several times about writing a Book but it was t until he retired from private Industry in 1991 that he decided to Ful fill the obligation he said he had to my other two tight mates to put this thing Down on he always Felt the Story of Apollo 13 was Worth telling. More than a space adventure it was As he saw. It a human interest Story one with lessons about initiative teamwork leadership ingenuity. An Only child James Arthur Lovell or. Was born in Cleveland on March 25, 1928. His father died when he. Was 5, and his Mother moved the family to Mil Waukee. He became fascinated with space travel at 16, building a crude rickety rocket powered by gun powder and air plane glue. In 1952, he graduated from the naval Academy and three graduating married his High school sweetheart Marilyn Gerlach. His military Ca reer includes stints As an aircraft Carrier Pilot a test Pilot and an instructor. He joined the astronauts corps in 1962. A father of four and Grandfather of nine he now lives in Horseshoe Day Texas 50 Miles West of aus tin where the Den in his Home is filled with Nasa me memos including the optical sight a Mirror used for Docking and rendezvous from the lunar module and the helmet he would have worn on the Moon. Was there anything else you wanted to know astronauts aboard Apollo 13 had dreams of putting footsteps on the Moon such As those left by Edwin Aldrin on Apollo 11, the first Moon Landing. Technicians View the fire blackened Apollo 1 Craft where three astronauts died during a flight simulation test in 1967. The tragedy left its Mark on the entire space program. Lovell asked during the final credits. Yes. Were you and the Crew aware of the anxiety at Mission control in Houston when no radio con fact had been made with Apollo 13 after the critical four minute re entry into Earth s atmosphere we were working and watching the controls Dur ing that time he said. Because we came in Shal Low it took us longer coming through the Atmo sphere where we had ionization. And the other thing was that we were just slow in i in laughed mischievously. As he left the theater Lovell a modest affable Man who seems uncomfortable with his celebrity was approached by a Middle aged Man. I noticed you during the movie the Man said. You re one of them Aren t you Lovell blushed when he was introduced As com Mander the Man began to stammer. Of All the movies i could have chosen to go to i pick the one where the Man himself is in the Audi ence he said. May i aha your hand sir you arc one of a pages sunday septembers 1995
