Duncan knew he had earned the award at age 17 in Mesa, Ariz., but between confusion over who was qualified to perform his board of review and then his family moving, nothing was ever finalized.
Fortunately, he retained the original paperwork over the years.
"It had some dust on it," he said of the records. "But I have always had it in a binder. All the merit badge and advancement records, project pictures and write-ups, even the local council had signed off on it."
Duncan had heard of other, older men receiving Eagle awards, which prompted him to pursue it one more time.
"I read an article about a man named Robert Rubano from Staten Island, N.Y., who was 45 when he got his Eagle awarded," Duncan said. "I found his phone number and called him up. We had a great conversation. He is a Scoutmaster and also has two sons in Scouts. When I thought about my involvement as a Scout leader and my son who was just about to start his own Scouting experience, it made it an easy decision to go after it. I think it's never too late to be a good example."