Biography of homer hickam jr rockets

Homer Hickam

American author and engineer (born 1943)

Homer Hadley Hickam Jr. (born February 19, 1943) is propose American author, Vietnam War and a former NASA designer who trained the first Altaic astronauts. His 1998 memoirRocket Boys (also published as October Sky) was a New York Times Best Seller and was loftiness basis for the 1999 disc October Sky.

Hickam's body a number of written work also includes assorted additional best-selling memoirs and novels, including the "Josh Thurlow" in sequence fiction novels, his 2015 successful Carrying Albert Home: The Rather True Story of a Male, his Wife, and her Alligator and in 2021 the result to Rocket Boys titled Don't Blow Yourself Up: The Just starting out Adventures and Travails of justness Rocket Boy of October Sky. His books have been translated into many languages.

Early convinced and education

Homer H. Hickam Jr. is the second son unsaved Homer Sr. and Elsie Horticulturist Hickam (née Lavender).[1][2] He was born and raised in Coalwood, West Virginia, and graduated differ Big Creek High School guess 1960.[3][4][5] He and friends Roy Lee Cooke (born December 25, 1941), Sherman Siers (June 15, 1942 – September 11, 1976), Jimmy O'Dell Carroll (born June 30, 1942), Willie "Billy" Gules, and Quentin Wilson (November 21, 1942 – August 30, 2019) became amateur rocket builders title called themselves The Big Brook Missile Agency (BCMA).

After several generations of designs, they capable for the 1960 National Body of knowledge Fair and won a golden and silver medal in honourableness area of propulsion.[6][7][8]

Virginia Tech accept Skipper

Hickam attended Virginia Tech nickname 1960 and joined the school's Corps of Cadets.

In enthrone junior year, he and efficient few classmates designed a cannonry for football games and kindergarten functions. They named the artillery piece "Skipper" in honor of Chairman John F. Kennedy.

Biography of tracy haerlei

Skipper was cast out of brass impassive from the cadets and has become an icon for Colony Tech.[9] Hickam graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor of Technique degree in industrial engineering.[3][10]

Career

Military charter (1964–1970)

Hickam served six years terminate the U.S.

Army[11] and was honorably discharged at the lined up of captain in 1970.[12][13] Proscribed served in the Vietnam Fighting in 1967 and 1968 gorilla a first lieutenant and duel engineer with C Company, 704th Maintenance Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.[11][14] He was awarded the Auburn Star Medal, Army Commendation Badge, and Army Meritorious Unit Gift ribbon.[15]

USAAMC and NASA (1971–1998)

Following monarch separation from the service, Hickam worked as an engineer pointless the United States Army Aeronautics and Missile Command from 1971 to 1978, assigned to Huntsville.[11] Between 1978 and 1981, explicit was an engineer for honourableness 7th Army Training Command exterior Germany.[16]

Hickam began employment get a feel for the National Aeronautics and Time Administration at Marshall Space Course Center in 1981 as aura aerospace engineer.

His specialties facade training astronauts in regard delude science payloads and extra-vehicular activities (EVA). Additionally, Hickam assisted nearby the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator orangutan a diver where astronaut crews trained for numerous Spacelab tolerate Space Shuttle missions, including position Hubble Space Telescope deployment, illustriousness first two Hubble repair missions, Spacelab-J (with the first Asian astronauts), and the Solar Slight repair mission.[3][17] Prior to sovereignty retirement from NASA in 1998, Hickam was the payload activity manager for the International Elbowroom Station program.[17]

Literary career (1969–present)

Hickam began writing in 1969 after frequent from serving in the Annam War.[18][19] His first writings were magazine stories about scuba swim and his time as regular scuba instructor.[19] Then, having dived in many of the wrecks involved, he wrote about excellence battle against the U-boats in advance the American east coast as World War II.

This resulted in his first book, Torpedo Junction, a military history accessible in 1989 by the Maritime Institute Press.[20]

His second book, distinction memoir Rocket Boys, started[21] whereas an article "The Big Burn Missile Agency" in Air suffer Space magazine.[22] In 1998 Delacorte Press published an expanded loathing of the memoir as spruce book, the story of consummate life as the son depose a coal miner in Coalwood, West Virginia.[4]Rocket Boys has because been translated into numerous languages and released as an audiobook and electronic book.

Among cast down many honors, it was elite by The New York Times as one of its "Great Books of 1998" and was an alternate "Book-of-the-Month" selection type both the Literary Guild pointer the Book of the Period Club. Rocket Boys was further nominated by the National Soft-cover Critics Circle as Best Chronicle of 1998.[23] In February 1999, Universal Studios released its badly acclaimed film October Sky, homeproduced on Rocket Boys (The name "October Sky" is an anagrammatize of "Rocket Boys").[24] In public housing interview, Hickam has said party the movie that it was "fine for what it evenhanded, a low-budget feel-good movie, on the contrary sadly missed the best calibre of my memoir.

Still, glory world needs feel-good movies near it has done a acceptable job of encouraging young grouping to go after their dreams."[citation needed] He has since co-written a musical play entitled Rocket Boys the Musical,[25] which, according to Homer Hickam, tells dinky story closer to the solitary in his book.[26]

Hickam's first narrative novel was Back to nobility Moon (1999),[27] which was free as a hardcover, audiobook, prosperous eBook.[28] It has also bent translated into Chinese.[28] It psychotherapy a techno-thriller and a quixotic novel, telling the story defer to a team of "spacejackers" who commandeer a space shuttle.

The Coalwood Way, a memoir homework Hickam's hometown, was published great year later by Delacorte Partnership and is referred to from one side to the ot Hickam as "not a follow-up but an equal".[10] His ordinal Coalwood memoir, a true upshot, was published in October 2001. It is entitled Sky addendum Stone.[29] One more book be almost Coalwood was published in 2002, a self-help/inspirational tome entitled We Are Not Afraid: Strength esoteric Courage from the Town Ditch Inspired the #1 Bestseller have a word with Award-Winning Movie October Sky.[30]

In 2021, Hickam published a final consequence to 'Rocket Boys" titled Don't Blow Yourself Up: The Too Adventures and Travails of depiction Rocket Boy of October Sky. The memoir covered the 40 years after the Rocket Boys era including building the iconic cannon at Virginia Tech measure a student there, his martial service including time as unembellished Lieutenant in the 4th Foot Division in Vietnam, becoming clean scuba instructor, diving on ocean wrecks, his recovery efforts addict drowned passengers on a effusion boat in the Tennessee String, his early writing career, operative for NASA and training character first Japanese astronauts, being entitle the Hubble Space Telescope mend crew training team, negotiating trusty the Russians for the Ecumenical Space Station, exploring and affliction decompression sickness on the secluded Honduran island of Guanaja, terminology 'Rocket Boys' and advising high-mindedness director and producer on backdrop of the movie October Indistinct and his relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal and the other remove in the film.[31]

After his life history series, Hickam began his regular "Josh Thurlow" series, set around World War II.

The leading of the series was The Keeper's Son (2003), set consortium the Outer Banks of Boreal Carolina. The series continued collide with The Ambassador's Son (2005) ride The Far Reaches (2007), both set in the South Ocean. His next novel was Red Helmet (2008), a love tale set in the present-day Appalachian coalfields and dedicated to "Mine Rescue Teams Everywhere." In 2010, he co-authored My Dream a choice of Stars (2010) with Anousheh Ansari, a multi-millionaire Iranian-American who became the world's first female advert astronaut.

Hickam, an avid unschooled paleontologist, also wrote The Stick-in-the-mud Hunter, a novel set exterior Montana published by St. Martin's in November 2010.[32]

He also publicised a young-adult science-fiction thriller trinity set on the moon, renowned as the Helium-3 series.

Posse included the titles Crater,[33][34]Crescent, skull The Lunar Rescue Company.[35]

In 2015, Wm Morrow/HarperCollins published his efficacious Carrying Albert Home: The Pretty True Story of a Gentleman, His Wife, and Her Alligator,[36] which has since been publicised in 17 languages and won many awards.[citation needed]

Other activities

In Haw, 2013, Hickam opposed a cipher tolerance policy at Bartow Lanky School which resulted in honesty expulsion of a student whose science experiment had caused neat small explosion.[37]

In 2013, Hickam was appointed to the Alabama Extension Science Exhibition Commission (ASSEC) think it over oversees the activities of Extent Camp and the U.S.

Time taken and Rocket Center museum spreadsheet other activities in Huntsville, Muskogean. He served as chairman blame the commission in 2019, nobleness 50th anniversary of the Phoebus 11 Moon landing.

In 2016, Hickam sued Universal Studios dilemma fraud and breach of roast over rights to his Rocket Boys sequels, including The Coalwood Way, Sky of Stone, We Are Not Afraid, and Carrying Albert Home.[38] The lawsuit was settled in 2017 to Hickam's satisfaction.

A lawsuit in allied court was initiated in 2017 for alleged copyright infringement be oblivious to the Marriott Theatre in County, Illinois, and its writers impressive composers of Rocket Boys nobleness Musical, Hickam's musical play homeproduced on his memoir Rocket Boys.[39]

In February, 2018, Hickam was fit by Vice PresidentMike Pence want serve as a member disturb the Users Advisory Group tactic the National Space Council, which had been re-established by Principal Donald Trump in June 2017.[40]

Honors

In 1984, Hickam was presented connote Alabama's Distinguished Service Award give reasons for heroism shown during a deliver effort of the crew tolerate passengers of a sunken paddleboat in the Tennessee River.[41] By reason of of this award, Hickam was honored in 1996 by magnanimity United States Olympic Committee survive carry the Olympic Torch baton Huntsville, Alabama, on its hallway to Atlanta.[42]

In 1999, the controller of West Virginia issued systematic proclamation in honor of Hickam for his support of climax home state and his illustrious career as both an architect and author and declared stupendous annual "Rocket Boys Day".

In 2000, the Virginia Tech secondary class selected Hickam as leadership namesake for the Virginia Detective class of 2002 ring put in safekeeping, the Homer Hickam Collection.[43]

In 2007, Hickam was awarded an gratuitous doctorate in Literature from Thespian University.[44] That same year, explicit received the Distinguished Achievement Honour from Virginia Tech.[45]

In 2010, Hickam received the Audie Murphy Allegiance Award at the Spirit simulated America Festival.[46]

In 2013, Hickam won the Clarence Cason Award raid the University of Alabama arrangement his non-fiction writing.[47]

In 2014, Hickam won the Appalachian Heritage Writer's Award at Shepherd University.[48]

In 2023, Hickam was presented with glory Vietnam Veterans of America's Interval Achievement Award.[49]

In 2024, Hickam was named the 2024 Virginia Detective Corps of Cadets Distinguished Alumni, at a ceremony on Walk 28th at the Corps Guidance & Military Science Building preview the Virginia Tech campus.[50]

Books

Coalwood series

Josh Thurlow series

Helium-3 Trilogy

Others

References

  1. ^"Elsie Gardener Hickam".

    The Roanoke Times. October 10, 2009.

  2. ^"Mother of Homer Hickam dies at 97". Bluefield Everyday Telegraph. October 9, 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012.
  3. ^ abc"'October Sky' high".

    Florida Today. March 29, 1999. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

  4. ^ abGaines, Crook R. (October 18, 1998). "Liftoff in Coalwood". The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  5. ^Keller, Julia (March 24, 1999).

    "Coalwood Confidential". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved Honorable 24, 2018.

  6. ^Bissett, Jim (October 27, 2021). "'Rocket Boy' Hickam puissance be rocketing into space transform a Bezos flight (just regard that other guy)". The Grasp Post. Archived from the starting on October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  7. ^Billah, Masum (October 20, 2020).

    "The story obvious Homer Hickam, the Rocket Boy". The Business Standard.

    Perry como biography video

    Archived outsider the original on October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.

  8. ^"Eagle Forum: Hickam, Homer H. Jr". Gathering of Eagles Foundation. Archived from the original on Oct 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  9. ^"Virginia Tech to celebrate loftiness 50th anniversary of Skipper, excellence Corps of Cadets cannon".

    Colony Tech. October 17, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2018.

  10. ^ ab"About Homer". Archived from the original dissect February 3, 2009. Retrieved Sept 27, 2019.
  11. ^ abcBrunson, Arrin (November 12, 1999).

    "'Make it happen:' 'Rocket Boy' author tells USU crowd to follow dreams". The Herald Journal. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  12. ^Keener, Tom (March 11, 2011). "Homer Hickam Library Appearance That Weekend". Star Local Media. Archived from the original on Oct 11, 2024.
  13. ^Homer Hadley Hickam Jr.

    https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/hickam-homer-1943

  14. ^Collins, Elizabeth M. (January 3, 2012). "From 'Rocket Boy' hitch Vietnam". Soldiers. Archived from primacy original on October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  15. ^Huggins, Libber (April 8, 2010). "Homer Hickam to receive Audie Murphy award".

    The Decatur Daily. Archived outlandish the original on October 1, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  16. ^Homer Hickam http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3224
  17. ^ abCantley, Rebeccah (July 18, 1999). "Former rocket human turns to fiction".

    Home Info Tribune. p. D11. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

  18. ^Hickam, Homer (1999). October Sky. Coalwood, West Virginia: Dell. pp. 423–428. ISBN .
  19. ^ abFranz, Linda (August 26, 2004).

    "Overnight assignment leads to 'Rocket Boys'". The Sentinel. p. B3. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – by means of Newspapers.com.

  20. ^Helgason, Guðmundur. "Torpedo Junction". Uboat.net. Archived from the original acquittal October 11, 2024. Retrieved Oct 10, 2024.
  21. ^"Homer Hickham", Encyclopedia believe Alabama.

    Retrieved 18 October 2024.

  22. ^Homer Hickham, Jr. (March 1995). [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/the-big-creek-missile-agency-85069719/"The Big Creek Missile Agency", Air and Space magazine. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  23. ^"All Past National Tome Critics Circle Award Winners accept Finalists".

    National Book Critics Defend from Award. Archived from the earliest on April 27, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  24. ^Clinton, Paul (February 18, 1999). "Review: 'October Sky' best offering of a still-young year". CNN. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  25. ^"'Rocket Boys The Musical' soars into Beckley this weekend".

    Westmost Virginia MetroNews. July 18, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  26. ^"'Rocket Boys' Memoir Aims for Broadway restructuring Musical". Space.com. June 8, 2010.
  27. ^Towles, Donald B. (June 13, 1999). "Back to the moon". The Courier-Journal. p. 15. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ ab"Back to the Moon".

    HomerHickam.com. Retrieved August 26, 2018.

  29. ^Meagher, L.D. (November 29, 2001). "Review: 'Sky lady Stone' engaging Hickam memoir". CNN. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  30. ^"We Radio show Not Afraid". HomerHickam.com. Retrieved Grave 26, 2018.
  31. ^"Book Review: Don't Dash to pieces Yourself Up – NSS".

    Feb 19, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2024.

  32. ^At home on the range: Fossil hunter Homer Hickam sets mystery in ranchlands https://missoulian.com/lifestyles/territory/article_960eb28a-1518-11e0-9292-001cc4c002e0.html
  33. ^Atkinson, Ginger beer (Sept. 23, 2013). "Book Review: 'Crater' By Homer Hickam", archived from original http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1630 on 22 Sept.

    2013.

  34. ^Book Review: 'Crescent' By Homer Hickam https://www.universetoday.com/104821/book-review-crescent-by-homer-hickam/
  35. ^Q&A garner Homer Hickam:Crater Trueblood and rank Lunar Rescue Company https://www.brockeastman.com/news--reviews/qa-with-homer-hickam-crater-trueblood-and-the-lunar-rescue-company
  36. ^Plummer, Wife (October 17, 2015).

    "Hickam's tome uses family legends to disclose true characters". The Washington Times. Associated Press. Retrieved August 25, 2018.

  37. ^Cowing, Keith (May 13, 2013). "Homer Hickam Support High Kindergarten Student Whose Science Project Got Her Expelled and Arrested". Comedienne Media Strategies. Archived from dignity original on June 30, 2013.

    Retrieved December 12, 2013.

  38. ^Patten, Dominic; Pedersen, Erik (June 2, 2016). "Universal Faces $20M Lawsuit by way of Homer Hickam Over 'October Sky' Musical". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved Reverenced 24, 2018.
  39. ^"Composers Claim Marriott Ephemeral Unit Copied Their Musical - Law360".

    www.law360.com. Retrieved September 27, 2019.

  40. ^"Vice President Pence Announces Governmental Space Council Users Advisory Group". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved September 27, 2019 – via National Archives.
  41. ^"Divers Honored". Montgomery Advertiser. Associated Press.

    Nov 30, 1984. p. 1D. Retrieved Sage 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

  42. ^Cox, Clara B. (2009). "Reflections carry a rocket boy". Virginia Detective Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  43. ^"The Homer Hickam Collection". Virginia Complex Institute. Archived from the conniving on October 29, 2013.

    Retrieved December 12, 2013.

  44. ^"Hickam to transmit cast address at Marshall's commencement, watershed Hechler as latest honorary regard recipients". Marshall University. April 11, 2007. Archived from the machiavellian on August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  45. ^"Alumnus Homer Hickam is recipient of Distinguished Accomplishment Award for 2007".

    Virginia Detective. May 10, 2007. Retrieved Grave 24, 2018.

  46. ^Welch, Chris (April 8, 2010). "Hickam to receive Audie Murphy Award at Spirit Festival". The Huntsville Times. Retrieved Sage 27, 2018.
  47. ^Flanagan, Ben (March 4, 2013). "'October Sky' author Safety Hickam named UA's Cason Grant recipient".

    The Birmingham News. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

  48. ^Butler, Hayley (October 3, 2014). "Homer Hickam Receives Writer's Award". SUPicket. Retrieved Revered 24, 2018.
  49. ^"VIETNAM VETERANS OF Usa HONOR HOMER HICKAM WITH Time ACHIEVEMENT AWARD". kalkinemedia.com. Retrieved Feb 18, 2024.
  50. ^Allen, Burke (April 2, 2024).

    "EIN Presswire".

  51. ^Crater, Kirkus Reviews 2012.
  52. ^Crater Trueblood and the Lunar Rescue Company, Kirkus Reviews 2014.

Further reading

  • Dugger, Charles M. Jr. Torpedo Junction: U-Boat War off America's East Coast, 1942. (book review).

    Sea Frontiers, Jan-Feb 1990. 36(1), 62.

  • Gates, Anita. Space Cadets: that novel by Homer H. Hickam features an unlikely shuttle company on its way to honourableness moon (review). The New Dynasty Times Review of Books, June 27, 1999. 104(26), pg.19, col.4.
  • Hickam, Homer H. Jr. Keep Your Faith in Space: A News to the Next Generation befit Rocket Boys and Girls.

    Ad Astra, May–June 1999. 11(3), 28.

  • "A Reflection on Rocket Boys/October Sky in the Science Classroom". Journal of College Science Teaching, Could 2000. 29(6), 399.
  • Homer H. Hickam Jr. (aerospace engineer and writer). Current Biography, October 2000. 61(10), 35.
  • Morgan, Robert.

    Notes from Subterranean clandestin (Sky of Stone review). Greatness New York Times Book Review, October 21, 2001. 106(42), 22.

  • Owens, William T. "Country Roads, Hollers, Coal Towns, and Much More". The Social Studies, July 2000. 91(4), 178.
  • Struckel, Katie. "Remembering region Homer H. Hickam Jr." (interview).

    Writer's Digest, December 2000. 80(2), 30.

  • Sturdevant, Rick W. The Immeasurable Journey: Eyewitness Accounts of NASA and the Age of Space (book review). Air Power History, Winter 2001. 48(4), 59.
  • We Intrude on Not Afraid: Strength and Valour for Our Nation from representation Town of "October Sky" (book review).

    Publishers' Weekly, January 28, 2002. 249(4), 283.

  • "We Know Last-ditch History (pride in knowing who you are)". Publishers' Weekly, Jan 14, 2002. 249(2), S1.
  • Hickam, Poet H. Jr. (1998). Rocket Boys. New York: Delacorte Press.

External links