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The mystery of space is not for the timid or faint of heart. Known as humanity’s final frontier, it calls out to those bold explorers willing to tackle its awesome beauty and journey into the unknown.
Edward Higgins White II was born in San Antonio, Texas on Nov. 14, 1930. Coming from a family of pilots, White became fascinated with aviation. White’s father, Edward H. White, Sr. was a major general in the Air Force and helped nurture his son’s interest.
White’s family moved to Washington, D.C. where he attended Western High School. He excelled in track as the second best hurdler in the area. Upon his high school graduation in 1948, White received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy. Again, White proved his skill and ability as a runner when he set a 400-meter hurdles college record and nearly made the 1952 Olympic team. Although an accomplished athlete, White made sure to remain focused on academics. In the spring of 1952, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. During his time at West Point, White met Patricia Finegan, who would become his wife in 1953.
The first step to becoming a pilot after graduating from the world’s most prestigious military school is to enter flight training. After 13 rigorous months of instruction in Florida and Texas, White received his pilot wings. Beginning in April 1954, he was assigned to the 22nd Fighter Day Squadron at Bitburg Air Base, Germany. White spent three and a half years in Germany flying the F-86 and F-100 fighter aircraft.
White returned to the United States in 1958 and entered the University of Michigan under the Air Force Institute of Technology Program. A year later, he graduated with a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering. In July 1959, White attended the Air Force Test Pilot Program at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. for advanced aviation training. After this intense program, the young pilot was then transferred to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio as a weightlessness and extended flight training captain within the Aeronautical Systems Division.
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