Edward H. White II Memorial Hangar, Brooks Air Force Base
San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Dedicated June 3, 1970. Edward H. White II Memorial Hangar Brooks Air Force Base Astronaut Lieutenant Colonel Edward H. White II (born at Fort Sam Houston, Nov. 14, 1930) was the first American to walk in space, while tethered to his Gemini spacecraft on June 3, 1965. Along with two companions, he died on Jan. 27, 1967, in a flash fire at the launch site while in training for the first moon flight aboard an Apollo spacecraft. The astronauts' flight heritage is tied closely to the pioneer flying schools of San Antonio. The father of astronaut White, Major General Edward H. White, learned to fly here at Hangar 9, as did Charles A. Lindbergh and many other pioneers. Hangar 9, one of over 30 of its type at Kelly and Brooks fields, was the standard hangar used by the U.S. Army Signal Corps to house the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" at flying schools during World War I. Brooks Field was named for San Antonio native Sidney J. Brooks, killed at Kelly Field, Nov. 13, 1917. Construction on Brooks Field began Dec. 11, 1917. Colonel H. Conger Pratt was the first commander. Long a primary school for heavier-than-air craft, it has been used for many pioneer roles, including development of aerospace medicine. (1970)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
San Antonio was a cradle of American military aviation, and this hangar at Brooks Air Force Base honors astronaut Lt. Col. Edward H. White II, the first American to walk in space, tethered to his Gemini craft in June 1965. White died in the January 1967 Apollo launch-pad fire while training for the first Moon flight; his own father had learned to fly at nearby Hangar 9, as did Charles Lindbergh. That standard WWI-era hangar once sheltered Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" trainers, linking the pioneers of powered flight to the astronauts who followed.
Why it matters
The site draws a direct line from the fragile biplanes of World War I to the space race, showing how San Antonio's flying fields helped carry America from the Jenny to the Moon.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Mondini-Ruiz Art5.0 mi away · 1415 South Presa Street, San Antonio, TX
- Contemporary at Blue Star5.4 mi away · 116, San Anonio, TX
- Robot Art Gallery5.4 mi away
- Bent Easel Art Gallery5.5 mi away
- Magical Realism Photography Studio5.5 mi away
- Stone Metal Press5.5 mi away
Attractions
- Mission San José2.5 mi away
- Former Mission 4 Drive In2.7 mi away
- Tower of the Americas5.7 mi away · 739 East César E. Chávez Boulevard, San Antonio, TX
- Yanaguana Garden5.8 mi away
- San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo5.8 mi away
- La Villita6.0 mi away
Food & drink
- Margaritaville6.0 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Taco Bell6.1 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Chipotle6.1 mi away · 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX
- Which Wich?6.1 mi away
- McDonald's6.1 mi away · 101 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
- Colonial Room6.1 mi away · 204 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX
Places to stay
- Grand Hyatt San Antonio5.9 mi away · 600 East Market Street, San Antonio, TX
- Marriott Riverwalk6.0 mi away
- The Monarch San Antonio6.0 mi away
- Marriott Rivercenter6.0 mi away · 101 Bowie Street, San Antonio, TX
- La Quinta Inn6.0 mi away · 303 Blum Street, San Antonio, TX
- Hilton Palacio del Rio6.0 mi away
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Related people
- · Edward H. White II
- · Charles A. Lindbergh
- · Sidney J. Brooks
Related events
- · Gemini 4 spacewalk
- · Apollo 1 fire
Themes & tags
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