EAA issues statement on death of Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman

Brandon Reid, Oshkosh Northwestern
·2 min read
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FILE - Astronaut Frank Norman stands in front of his exhibit. The EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh opened 'The Borman Collection: An EAA Member’s Space Odyssey,' an exhibit that features the personal archives and memorabilia of astronaut Frank Borman, who was on the leading edge of America’s space program through the 1960s. The exhibit was formally opened with a ribbon-cutting by Borman on Dec. 7, 2018.
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OSHKOSH — Frank Borman, commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the moon, has died. He was 95.

Borman was a U.S. Air Force colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot and businessman. He commanded the Apollo 8 mission from Dec. 21, 1968, to Dec. 27, 1968, with crewmates Jim Lovell and William Anders and became the first of 24 humans to fly around the moon. He was later awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Borman made frequent visits to Oshkosh over the past 30 years, including as part of the Salute to Apollo at the 1994 Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-In Convention and the Apollo astronaut reunion during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017.

In addition, he was the special guest speaker at the EAA Aviation Museum’s Space Day in 2016, and at the December 2018 Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet following the donation of his personal archives to EAA.

Borman died Nov. 7 and was a longtime EAA member. In a news release, Jack J. Pelton, CEO and chairman of the board of the EAA, said: “As one of the major players within the Apollo astronaut corps in the 1960s, Frank Borman was a person who seemed larger than life as we followed America’s efforts toward a lunar landing. Frank’s accomplishments, especially the unforgettable moments during the Apollo 8 mission during Christmas time in 1968, puts him among the key figures in our nation’s spaceflight history.

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“We at EAA came to know him for more than 30 years as an enthusiastic aviator and supporter of programs that would build on the legacy of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo,” Pelton’s statement continued. “We were honored in 2018 when Frank donated his personal archives to EAA, which are now on display at the EAA Aviation Museum, and always welcomed him back to Oshkosh when he could join us here. We express our condolences to Frank’s family and many friends, and say to Frank, godspeed and thank you.”

The EAA Aviation Museum is just off Interstate 41 at the Highway 44 exit. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EAA members receive free museum admission year-round. For more information, call the museum at 920-426-4818 or visit www.EAA.org/museum.

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @breidHTRNews.

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: NASA Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman dies, EAA issues statement