Ken Mattingly

Who they were

Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II was an American aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, rear admiral in the United States Navy, and astronaut who orbited the Moon on Apollo 16 and flew on the STS-4 and STS-51-C missions.

Early life

Educated at: Auburn University, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, and Miami Edison High School.

Early life and education Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II was born on March 17, 1936, in Chicago , Illinois, to Thomas Kenneth Mattingly and Constance Mason Mattingly ( née  Clarke ). [ 1 ] [ 2 ] His father, who had been hired by Eastern Airlines soon after his son's birth, moved the family to Hialeah, Florida . Aviation became part of Mattingly's life from a very young age; he later recalled that his "earliest memories...all had to do with airplanes". [ 3 ]

Path and career

Worked with / for: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Awards / honours: NASA Distinguished Service Medal, United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, and International Space Hall of Fame.

Military career Mattingly was commissioned in the U.S. Navy as an ensign in 1958 and received his aviator wings in 1960. He was then assigned to Attack Squadron Thirty-five (VA-35) at Naval Air Station Oceana , Virginia, and flew Douglas A-1H Skyraider propeller aircraft aboard the aircraft carrier USS  Saratoga from 1960 to 1963. In July 1963, he was transferred to Heavy Attack Squadron Eleven ( VAH-11 ) at Naval Air Station Sanford , Florida,

Why this date

Ken Mattingly appears on our October 31 calendar for 2023 as a death entry.