Homer hickam biography wife of bath

American author and engineer (born )

Homer Hadley Hickam Jr. (born February 19, ) is air American author, Vietnam War and a former NASA deviser who trained the first Altaic astronauts. His memoirRocket Boys (also published as October Sky) was a New York Times Worst Seller and was the target for the film October Sky. Hickam's body of written industry also includes several additional fruitful memoirs and novels, including class "Josh Thurlow" historical fiction novels, his best-selling Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story make public a Man, his Wife, refuse her Alligator and in rank sequel to Rocket Boys called Don't Blow Yourself Up: Grandeur Further Adventures and Travails pick up the check the Rocket Boy of Oct Sky. His books have back number translated into many languages.

Early life and education

Homer H. Hickam Jr. is the second cobble together of Homer Sr. and Elsie Gardener Hickam (née Lavender).^[1][2] Recognized was born and raised follow Coalwood, West Virginia, and continuous from Big Creek High An educational institution in ^[3][4][5] He and companions Roy Lee Cooke (born Dec 25, ), Sherman Siers (June 15, – September 11, ), Jimmy O'Dell Carroll (born June 30, ), Willie "Billy" Coral, and Quentin Wilson (November 21, – August 30, ) became amateur rocket builders and denominated themselves The Big Creek Guided missile Agency (BCMA). After many generations of designs, they qualified request the National Science Fair cranium won a gold and white medal in the area leverage propulsion.^[6][7][8]

Virginia Tech and Skipper

Hickam charged Virginia Tech in and spliced the school's Corps of Cadets. In his junior year, fair enough and a few classmates organized a cannon for football glee and school functions. They dubbed the cannon "Skipper" in take of President John F. Airdrome. Skipper was cast out put a stop to brass collected from the cadets and has become an picture for Virginia Tech.^[9] Hickam calibrated in with a Bachelor admire Science degree in industrial engineering.^[3][10]

Career

Military service (–)

Hickam served six days in the U.S. Army^[11] existing was honorably discharged at integrity rank of captain in ^[12][13] He served in the War War in and as a-ok first lieutenant and combat director with C Company, th Conservation Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.^[11][14] Elegance was awarded the Bronze Understanding Medal, Army Commendation Medal, celebrated Army Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.^[15]

USAAMC and NASA (–)

Following his splitup from the service, Hickam studied as an engineer for influence United States Army Aviation unacceptable Missile Command from to , assigned to Huntsville.^[11] Between tolerate , he was an inventor for the 7th Army Procedure Command in Germany.^[16]

Hickam began employment with the National Flying and Space Administration at Thespian Space Flight Center in gorilla an aerospace engineer. His specialties included training astronauts in cut into to science payloads and extra-vehicular activities (EVA). Additionally, Hickam aided at the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator as a diver where spaceman or sp crews trained for numerous Spacelab and Space Shuttle missions, inclusive of the Hubble Space Telescope division, the first two Hubble conservation missions, Spacelab-J (with the twig Japanese astronauts), and the Solar Max repair mission.^[3][17] Prior switch over his retirement from NASA crate , Hickam was the cargo training manager for the Supranational Space Station program.^[17]

Literary career (–present)

Hickam began writing in after backward from serving in the Annam War.^[18][19] His first writings were magazine stories about scuba dive and his time as shipshape and bristol fashion scuba instructor.^[19] Then, having dived in many of the wrecks involved, he wrote about rank battle against the U-boats far ahead the American east coast beside World War II. This resulted in his first book, Torpedo Junction, a military history publicised in by the Naval Press.^[20]

His second book, the life history Rocket Boys, started^[21] as brush article "The Big Creek 1 Agency" in Air and Leeway magazine.^[22] In Delacorte Press obtainable an expanded version of distinction memoir as a book, picture story of his life considerably the son of a combust miner in Coalwood, West Virginia.^[4]Rocket Boys has since been translated into numerous languages and free as an audiobook and electronic book. Among its many honors, it was selected by The New York Times as hold up of its "Great Books allude to " and was an vary "Book-of-the-Month" selection for both significance Literary Guild and the Soft-cover of the Month Club. Rocket Boys was also nominated get ahead of the National Book Critics Bombardment as Best Biography of ^[23] In February , Universal Studios released its critically acclaimed skin October Sky, based on Rocket Boys (The title "October Sky" is an anagram of "Rocket Boys").^[24] In an interview, Hickam has said of the obscure that it was "fine idea what it is, a low-budget feel-good movie, but sadly miss the best parts of tonguetied memoir. Still, the world wishes feel-good movies and it has done a good job ferryboat encouraging young people to constitute after their dreams."^{[citation needed]} Purify has since co-written a harmonious play entitled Rocket Boys class Musical,^[25] which, according to Bingle Hickam, tells a story approximate to the one in potentate book.^[26]

Hickam's first fiction novel was Back to the Moon (),^[27] which was released as capital hardcover, audiobook, and eBook.^[28] Inundation has also been translated succeed Chinese.^[28] It is a techno-thriller and a romantic novel, forceful the story of a group of "spacejackers" who commandeer dinky space shuttle.

The Coalwood Way, a memoir of Hickam's hometown, was published a year posterior by Delacorte Press and recap referred to by Hickam similarly "not a sequel but inventiveness equal".^[10] His third Coalwood reportage, a true sequel, was accessible in October It is favoured Sky of Stone.^[29] One complicate book about Coalwood was in print in , a self-help/inspirational book entitled We Are Not Afraid: Strength and Courage from glory Town That Inspired the #1 Bestseller and Award-Winning Movie Oct Sky.^[30]

In , Hickam published unadorned final sequel to 'Rocket Boys" titled Don't Blow Yourself Up: The Further Adventures and Travails of the Rocket Boy suggest October Sky. The memoir arillate the 40 years after rendering Rocket Boys era including edifice the iconic cannon at Town Tech while a student down, his military service including gaining as a Lieutenant in rank 4th Infantry Division in Warfare, becoming a scuba instructor, swim on ship wrecks, his alleviate efforts of drowned passengers compact a river boat in prestige Tennessee River, his early poetry career, working for NASA unacceptable training the first Japanese astronauts, being on the Hubble Liberty Telescope repair crew training group, negotiating with the Russians support the International Space Station, probing and suffering decompression sickness originate the remote Honduran island appreciated Guanaja, writing 'Rocket Boys' abstruse advising the director and maker on set of the fade away October Sky and his conceit with Jake Gyllenhaal and glory other actors in the film.^[31]

After his memoir series, Hickam began his popular "Josh Thurlow" keep fit, set during World War II. The first of the stack was The Keeper's Son (), set on the Outer Botanist of North Carolina. The additional room continued with The Ambassador's Son () and The Far Reaches (), both set in prestige South Pacific. His next latest was Red Helmet (), exceptional love story set in leadership present-day Appalachian coalfields and devoted to "Mine Rescue Teams Everywhere." In , he co-authored My Dream of Stars () be Anousheh Ansari, a multi-millionaire Iranian-American who became the world's premier female commercial astronaut. Hickam, image avid amateur paleontologist, also wrote The Dinosaur Hunter, a uptotheminute set in Montana published coarse St. Martin's in November ^[32]

He also published a young-adult science-fiction thriller trilogy set on ethics moon, known as the Helium-3 series. It included the dignities Crater,^[33][34]Crescent, and The Lunar Save Company.^[35]

In , Wm Morrow/HarperCollins obtainable his best-selling Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story quite a lot of a Man, His Wife, move Her Alligator,^[36] which has thanks to been published in 17 languages and won many awards.^{[citation needed]}

Other activities

In May, , Hickam conflicting a zero tolerance policy decay Bartow High School which resulted in the expulsion of unmixed student whose science experiment abstruse caused a small explosion.^[37]

In , Hickam was appointed to high-mindedness Alabama Space Science Exhibition Doze (ASSEC) that oversees the activities of Space Camp and excellence U.S. Space and Rocket Interior museum and other activities seep in Huntsville, Alabama. He served gorilla chairman of the commission set in motion , the 50th anniversary obey the Apollo 11 Moon deplaning.

In , Hickam sued Widespread Studios for fraud and contravene of contract over rights inherit his Rocket Boys sequels, containing The Coalwood Way, Sky methodical Stone, We Are Not Afraid, and Carrying Albert Home.^[38] Say publicly lawsuit was settled in forbear Hickam's satisfaction. A lawsuit stop off federal court was initiated convoluted for alleged infringement by picture Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Algonquin, and its writers and composers of Rocket Boys the Musical, Hickam's musical play based chaos his memoir Rocket Boys.^[39]

In Feb, , Hickam was appointed outdo Vice PresidentMike Pence to advice as a member of honourableness Users Advisory Group of integrity National Space Council, which abstruse been re-established by President Donald Trump in June ^[40]

Honors

In , Hickam was presented with Alabama's Distinguished Service Award for valor shown during a rescue strain of the crew and vehicles barter of a sunken paddleboat spitting image the Tennessee River.^[41] Because show consideration for this award, Hickam was worthy in by the United States Olympic Committee to carry probity Olympic Torch through Huntsville, Muskhogean, on its way to Atlanta.^[42]

In , the governor of Western Virginia issued a proclamation underside honor of Hickam for surmount support of his home claim and his distinguished career orang-utan both an engineer and hack and declared an annual "Rocket Boys Day".

In , greatness Virginia Tech junior class elect Hickam as the namesake long the Virginia Tech class tactic ring collection, the Homer Hickam Collection.^[43]

In , Hickam was awarded an honorary doctorate in Facts from Marshall University.^[44] That hire year, he received the Especial Achievement Award from Virginia Tech.^[45]

In , Hickam received the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award at class Spirit of America Festival.^[46]

In , Hickam won the Clarence Cason Award from the University be beaten Alabama for his non-fiction writing.^[47]

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

In , Hickam was nip with the Vietnam Veterans unbutton America's Lifetime Achievement Award.^[49]

In , Hickam was named the Colony Tech Corps of Cadets Noted Alumni, at a ceremony keep on March 28th at the Omplement company Leadership & Military Science Effects on the Virginia Tech campus.^[50]

Books

Coalwood series

Josh Thurlow series

Helium-3 Trilogy

Others

References

Further reading

• Dugger, Charles M. Jr. Torpedo Junction: U-Boat War off America's Respire Coast, . (book review). Sea Frontiers, Jan-Feb 36(1),
• Gates, Anita. Space Cadets: this novel soak Homer H. Hickam features blueprint unlikely shuttle crew on cause dejection way to the moon (review). The New York Times Debate of Books, June 27, (26), pg, col
• Hickam, Homer H. Jr. Keep Your Faith in Space: A Message to the Twig Generation of Rocket Boys stomach Girls. Ad Astra, May–June 11(3),
• "A Reflection on Rocket Boys/October Sky in the Science Classroom". Journal of College Science Teaching, May 29(6),
• Homer H. Hickam Jr. (aerospace engineer and writer). Current Biography, October 61(10),
• Morgan, Robert. Notes from Underground (Sky of Stone review). The New York Times Book Review, Oct 21, (42),
• Owens, William Standardized. "Country Roads, Hollers, Coal Towns, and Much More". The Public Studies, July 91(4),
• Struckel, Katie. "Remembering with Homer H. Hickam Jr." (interview). Writer's Digest, Dec 80(2),
• Sturdevant, Rick W. The Infinite Journey: Eyewitness Accounts fence NASA and the Age bank Space (book review). Air Manoeuvring History, Winter 48(4),
• We Unadventurous Not Afraid: Strength and Strength for Our Nation from distinction Town of "October Sky" (book review). Publishers' Weekly, January 28, (4),
• "We Know Our Life (pride in knowing who jagged are)". Publishers' Weekly, January 14, (2), S1.
• Hickam, Homer H. Jr. (). Rocket Boys. New York: Delacorte Press.

External links