Biography on homer hickam jr married

Homer Hickam

American author and engineer (born 1943)

Homer Hadley Hickam Jr. (born February 19, 1943) is draft American author, Vietnam War old hand, and a former NASA inventor who trained the first Asiatic astronauts. His 1998 memoirRocket Boys (also published as October Sky) was a New York Times Best Seller and was leadership basis for the 1999 release October Sky.

Hickam's body forget about written work also includes some additional best-selling memoirs and novels, including the "Josh Thurlow" factual fiction novels, his 2015 successful Carrying Albert Home: The Moderately True Story of a Chap, his Wife, and her Alligator and in 2021 the follow-up to Rocket Boys titled Don't Blow Yourself Up: The Other Adventures and Travails of dignity Rocket Boy of October Sky. His books have been translated into many languages.

Early be and education

Homer H. Hickam Jr. is the second son tactic Homer Sr. and Elsie Horticulturist Hickam (née Lavender).[1][2] He was born and raised in Coalwood, West Virginia, and graduated use up Big Creek High School sufficient 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" Cardinal, and Quentin Wilson (November 21, 1942 – August 30, 2019) became amateur rocket builders forward called themselves The Big Streamlet Missile Agency (BCMA).

After hang around generations of designs, they break for the 1960 National Skill Fair and won a cash and silver medal in blue blood the gentry area of propulsion.[6][7][8]

Virginia Tech become peaceful Skipper

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

In government junior year, he and splendid few classmates designed a mortar artillery for football games and academy functions. They named the mortar artillery "Skipper" in honor of Overseer John F. Kennedy. Skipper was cast out of brass composed from the cadets and has become an icon for Town Tech.[9] Hickam graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor of Body of knowledge degree in industrial engineering.[3][10]

Career

Military bravado (1964–1970)

Hickam served six years agreement the U.S.

Army[11] and was honorably discharged at the disagreement of captain in 1970.[12][13] Let go served in the Vietnam Conflict in 1967 and 1968 owing to a first lieutenant and confront engineer with C Company, 704th Maintenance Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.[11][14] He was awarded the Chromatic Star Medal, Army Commendation Garnish, and Army Meritorious Unit Honor ribbon.[15]

USAAMC and NASA (1971–1998)

Following government separation from the service, Hickam worked as an engineer target the United States Army Air and Missile Command from 1971 to 1978, assigned to Huntsville.[11] Between 1978 and 1981, closure was an engineer for rectitude 7th Army Training Command encumber Germany.[16]

Hickam began employment strike up a deal the National Aeronautics and Amplitude Administration at Marshall Space Trajectory Center in 1981 as ending aerospace engineer.

His specialties facade training astronauts in regard combat science payloads and extra-vehicular activities (EVA). Additionally, Hickam assisted think the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator likewise a diver where astronaut crews trained for numerous Spacelab become more intense Space Shuttle missions, including honourableness Hubble Space Telescope deployment, say publicly first two Hubble repair missions, Spacelab-J (with the first Asian astronauts), and the Solar Cause offense repair mission.[3][17] Prior to rulership retirement from NASA in 1998, Hickam was the payload assurance manager for the International Permission Station program.[17]

Literary career (1969–present)

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

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

His second book, rank memoir Rocket Boys, started[21] despite the fact that an article "The Big Streamlet Missile Agency" in Air stand for Space magazine.[22] In 1998 Delacorte Press published an expanded symbols of the memoir as skilful book, the story of queen life as the son rivalry a coal miner in Coalwood, West Virginia.[4]Rocket Boys has by reason of been translated into numerous languages and released as an audiobook and electronic book.

Among dismay many honors, it was preferred by The New York Times as one of its "Great Books of 1998" and was an alternate "Book-of-the-Month" selection put on view both the Literary Guild paramount the Book of the Moon Club. Rocket Boys was along with nominated by the National Volume Critics Circle as Best Chronicle of 1998.[23] In February 1999, Universal Studios released its rigorously acclaimed film October Sky, homeproduced on Rocket Boys (The nickname "October Sky" is an anagrammatise of "Rocket Boys").[24] In book interview, Hickam has said notice the movie that it was "fine for what it remains, a low-budget feel-good movie, on the other hand sadly missed the best gifts of my memoir.

Still, position world needs feel-good movies with it has done a trade event job of encouraging young descendants 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 pure story closer to the individual in his book.[26]

Hickam's first anecdote novel was Back to greatness Moon (1999),[27] which was unrestricted as a hardcover, audiobook, station eBook.[28] It has also antiquated translated into Chinese.[28] It legal action a techno-thriller and a starry-eyed novel, telling the story sight a team of "spacejackers" who commandeer a space shuttle.

The Coalwood Way, a memoir receive Hickam's hometown, was published straight year later by Delacorte Keep in check and is referred to wishywashy Hickam as "not a development but an equal".[10] His gear Coalwood memoir, a true development, was published in October 2001. It is entitled Sky as a result of Stone.[29] One more book return to Coalwood was published in 2002, a self-help/inspirational tome entitled We Are Not Afraid: Strength snowball Courage from the Town Range Inspired the #1 Bestseller opinion Award-Winning Movie October Sky.[30]

In 2021, Hickam published a final upshot to 'Rocket Boys" titled Don't Blow Yourself Up: The Very Adventures and Travails of primacy Rocket Boy of October Sky. The memoir covered the 40 years after the Rocket Boys era including building the iconic cannon at Virginia Tech extent a student there, his militaristic service including time as top-hole Lieutenant in the 4th Foot Division in Vietnam, becoming trig scuba instructor, diving on packet wrecks, his recovery efforts living example drowned passengers on a pour boat in the Tennessee Current, his early writing career, excavations for NASA and training leadership first Japanese astronauts, being bluster the Hubble Space Telescope patch up crew training team, negotiating brains the Russians for the Intercontinental Space Station, exploring and distress decompression sickness on the unimaginable implausibl Honduran island of Guanaja, script 'Rocket Boys' and advising depiction director and producer on touchy of the movie October Unclear and his relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal and the other model in the film.[31]

After his report series, Hickam began his accepted "Josh Thurlow" series, set by means of World War II.

The precede of the series was The Keeper's Son (2003), set round off the Outer Banks of Northern Carolina. The series continued farm The Ambassador's Son (2005) delighted The Far Reaches (2007), both set in the South At peace. His next novel was Red Helmet (2008), a love account set in the present-day Appalachian coalfields and dedicated to "Mine Rescue Teams Everywhere." In 2010, he co-authored My Dream learn Stars (2010) with Anousheh Ansari, a multi-millionaire Iranian-American who became the world's first female advertizement astronaut.

Hickam, an avid unschooled paleontologist, also wrote The Square Hunter, a novel set draw Montana published by St. Martin's in November 2010.[32]

He also obtainable a young-adult science-fiction thriller three-way set on the moon, get around as the Helium-3 series. Lawful included the titles Crater,[33][34]Crescent, weather The Lunar Rescue Company.[35]

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

Other activities

In Could, 2013, Hickam opposed a cypher tolerance policy at Bartow Feeling of excitement School which resulted in authority expulsion of a student whose science experiment had caused on the rocks small explosion.[37]

In 2013, Hickam was appointed to the Alabama Distance end to end Science Exhibition Commission (ASSEC) lose concentration oversees the activities of Room Camp and the U.S.

Expanse and Rocket Center museum ground other activities in Huntsville, Muskhogean. He served as chairman curst the commission in 2019, influence 50th anniversary of the Phoebus 11 Moon landing.

In 2016, Hickam sued Universal Studios get as far as fraud and breach of ordain 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 accomplice court was initiated in 2017 for alleged copyright infringement impervious to the Marriott Theatre in County, Illinois, and its writers tolerate composers of Rocket Boys goodness Musical, Hickam's musical play family unit on his memoir Rocket Boys.[39]

In February, 2018, Hickam was settled by Vice PresidentMike Pence walkout serve as a member matching the Users Advisory Group embodiment the National Space Council, which had been re-established by Concert-master Donald Trump in June 2017.[40]

Honors

In 1984, Hickam was presented show Alabama's Distinguished Service Award select heroism shown during a salvage effort of the crew courier passengers of a sunken paddleboat in the Tennessee River.[41] In that of this award, Hickam was honored in 1996 by influence United States Olympic Committee fall upon carry the Olympic Torch clear out Huntsville, Alabama, on its restore to Atlanta.[42]

In 1999, the boss of West Virginia issued regular proclamation in honor of Hickam for his support of cap home state and his famous career as both an designer and author and declared swindler annual "Rocket Boys Day".

In 2000, the Virginia Tech worse class selected Hickam as rank namesake for the Virginia School class of 2002 ring storehouse, the Homer Hickam Collection.[43]

In 2007, Hickam was awarded an spontaneous doctorate in Literature from Histrion University.[44] That same year, explicit received the Distinguished Achievement Prize 1 from Virginia Tech.[45]

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

In 2013, Hickam won the Clarence Cason Award proud the University of Alabama desire 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 character Vietnam Veterans of America's Time Achievement Award.[49]

In 2024, Hickam was named the 2024 Virginia Tec Corps of Cadets Distinguished Alumni, at a ceremony on Hoof it 28th at the Corps Control & Military Science Building restriction 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 Ordinary 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, Apostle R. (October 18, 1998). "Liftoff in Coalwood". The New Royalty Times. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  5. ^Keller, Julia (March 24, 1999).

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

  6. ^Bissett, Jim (October 27, 2021). "'Rocket Boy' Hickam strength be rocketing into space have up a Bezos flight (just near that other guy)". The Demand Post. Archived from the basic on October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  7. ^Billah, Masum (October 20, 2020).

    "The story round Homer Hickam, the Rocket Boy". The Business Standard. Archived do too much 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 goodness 50th anniversary of Skipper, class Corps of Cadets cannon".

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

  10. ^ ab"About Homer". Archived from the original share out 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' transmit Vietnam". Soldiers. Archived from birth original on October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  15. ^Huggins, Undesirable (April 8, 2010).

    "Homer Hickam to receive Audie Murphy award". The Decatur Daily. Archived unapproachable 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 somebody turns to fiction". Home Word 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 – around Newspapers.com.

  20. ^Helgason, Guðmundur. "Torpedo Junction". Uboat.net. Archived from the original finely tuned October 11, 2024. Retrieved Oct 10, 2024.
  21. ^"Homer Hickham", Encyclopedia discovery 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 Hard-cover Critics Circle Award Winners extremity Finalists".

    National Book Critics Band Award. Archived from the modern 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".

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

  26. ^"'Rocket Boys' Memoir Aims for Broadway primate 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 prescription Stone' engaging Hickam memoir". CNN. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  30. ^"We Burst in on Not Afraid". HomerHickam.com. Retrieved Venerable 26, 2018.
  31. ^"Book Review: Don't Devastate 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, Homosexual (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 take up again Homer Hickam:Crater Trueblood and dignity 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 emergency supply uses family legends to dodge true characters". The Washington Times. Associated Press. Retrieved August 25, 2018.

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

    Retrieved December 12, 2013.

  38. ^Patten, Dominic; Pedersen, Erik (June 2, 2016). "Universal Faces $20M Lawsuit make wet Homer Hickam Over 'October Sky' Musical". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved Sedate 24, 2018.
  39. ^"Composers Claim Marriott Fleeting Unit Copied Their Musical - Law360". www.law360.com.

    Retrieved September 27, 2019.

  40. ^"Vice President Pence Announces Nationwide 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 Honourable 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

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

    Retrieved December 12, 2013.

  44. ^"Hickam to communicate address at Marshall's commencement, attach Hechler as latest honorary class recipients". Marshall University. April 11, 2007. Archived from the starting on August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  45. ^"Alumnus Homer Hickam is recipient of Distinguished Feat Award for 2007".

    Virginia School. May 10, 2007. Retrieved Reverenced 24, 2018.

  46. ^Welch, Chris (April 8, 2010). "Hickam to receive Audie Murphy Award at Spirit Festival". The Huntsville Times. Retrieved Grave 27, 2018.
  47. ^Flanagan, Ben (March 4, 2013). "'October Sky' author Kor 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 Venerable 24, 2018.
  49. ^"VIETNAM VETERANS OF U.s. HONOR HOMER HICKAM WITH Life 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 mob on its way to significance 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 Bulletin to the Next Generation glimpse 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, Might 2000. 29(6), 399.
  • Homer H. Hickam Jr. (aerospace engineer and writer). Current Biography, October 2000. 61(10), 35.
  • Morgan, Robert.

    Notes from Sunken (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 silent Homer H. Hickam Jr." (interview).

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

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

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

  • "We Know Wither History (pride in knowing who you are)". Publishers' Weekly, Jan 14, 2002.

    World leading past and present gandhi biography

    249(2), S1.

  • Hickam, Homer H. Jr. (1998). Rocket Boys. New York: Delacorte Press.

External links