Astronaut Eugene Cernan Among Honorees

The Lindbergh Foundation told ANN Monday three individuals will be honored at the 2007 Lindbergh Award Ceremony on May 16 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, MN. Among the honorees is NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan -- most widely recognized as the last man on the moon -- who will receive the Foundation’s Spirit Award.

In honor of the 80th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s New York-to-Paris flight, the Foundation’s Spirit Award will be presented to Astronaut Eugene Cernan for his pioneering achievements in an aviation career and a spirit and character that represent the best of this nation. Previous recipients of the Spirit Award are: Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., 1997, and Sen. John Glenn, 2002.

"If anyone personifies the spirit and pioneering character of America’s space program it is the last man to have set foot on the moon -- Captain Gene Cernan," said Lindbergh Award Event Co-Chair Greg Herrick, Lindbergh Foundation board member. "Captain Cernan is not only an accomplished pilot and astronaut; he is a dedicated and active proponent of aviation and space travel. I cannot speak highly enough of Gene Cernan, he is a true gentleman and in every way most deserving of the Lindbergh Foundation’s Spirit Award."

Cernan (below) has had a remarkable career in the United States space program. He flew on three separate space missions and was the second American to walk in space. He is one of only two men to have flown to the moon twice. He also has the distinction of being the last man on the moon.

Other honorees for 2007 are acclaimed author and architect Sarah Susanka, who will receive the Anne Morrow Lindbergh Award. National Geographic Society Explorer in Residence and Wildlife Conservation Society Conservationist, Dr. J. Michael Fay, will receive the honorary 2007 Lindbergh Award.

"On this 80th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's history-making transatlantic flight, the Minnesota Historical Society is especially honored to host the Lindbergh Foundation’s 2007 awards dinner," said Nina Archabal, Society director. "With the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny hanging above the History Center rotunda, guests will have an opportunity to see the type of aircraft that Lindbergh flew for his first adventures with flight. Like Lindbergh, this year’s award winners have found excitement in adventures that have changed the way the world lives."

FMI: www.lindberghfoundation.org