Edward H. White II Memorial Hangar, Brooks Air Force Base

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)

Edward H. White II Memorial Hangar, Brooks Air Force Base is a historical marker in San Antonio, Bexar County, dedicated in 1970. It is one of 239 historical markers documented in Bexar County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 542 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.3423, -98.4417 near San Antonio. The nearest cataloged historic site is San Juan (cemetery), about 0.9 miles away. Others within a short drive include Mission San Juan Capistrano, Kielman, and Aqueduct.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5029001398. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.