3 minute read
REMARKABLE MASONS: Astronauts
by Stacey Fraser, Assistant Curator Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library
At least ten American astronauts have been members of the Fraternity. The Masons profiled here played a vital role in NASA’s success at putting a man on the moon.
Born in Mitchell, Indiana, Grissom was raised in Mitchell Lodge No. 228 in 1949. Grissom served in the United States Air Force stateside during World War II and flew one hundred combat missions overseas during the Korean War. After his return to the United States in 1952, Grissom worked as a flight instructor and USAF test pilot. NASA chose him for their newly created space program in 1959.
Grissom became the second American in space when he piloted the second Mercury space flight in 1961. He returned to space as command pilot on the first crewed Gemini flight in 1965. He was then selected to lead the first crewed mission in the Apollo program, Apollo 1. Tragically, Grissom perished along with team members Edward White and Roger Chaffee when the Command Module of the spacecraft caught fire during a pre-launch test at Cape Kennedy in January 1967.
At the time of his death, Grissom had logged over 4,600 hours of flying time in his career and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He participated in all three early NASA space programs: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Grissom was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Eisele was a member of Luther B. Turner Lodge No. 732 in Columbus. After training at Annapolis, Maryland, he flew test flights for the United States Air Force in the 1950s and 1960s, recording more than 4,200 hours of flying time.
Eisele joined NASA’s space program in 1963 and served as the Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 7 mission in October 1968. Eisele and his crew–which included fellow Mason Wally Schirra–logged more than 260 hours in space on this 11-day mission. During the mission, they also participated in the first live television broadcast from a crewed American spacecraft.
Eisele was selected as backup Command Module Pilot for the 1969 Apollo 10 mission but did not serve on that crew. He then became a technical assistant for crewed space flight at NASA’s Langley Research Center until his retirement from public service in 1972. He went on to become the Country Director of the United States Peace Corps in Thailand, followed by years of working in private industry. Eisele died in 1987, and his ashes were buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
