Thomas Patten Stafford (1930 - 2024)

Born 17 Sep 1930 in Weatherford, Custer, Oklahoma, United States

Ancestors

Died 18 Mar 2024 at age 93 in Sattelite Beach, Florida, USA

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Biography

Thomas Patten "Tom" Stafford (born September 17, 1930), (Lt Gen, USAF, Ret.), is an American former Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut.

1930	Born in Weatherford, Custer, Oklahoma, USA
1952	Graduated from the United States Naval Academy. Joined the US Air Force, commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant. During his Air Force career, he was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
	Air Force Distinguished Service	Distinguished Flying Cross
1953	Married Faye Shoemaker (to 1985)
1954	Assigned to the 54th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Ellsworth AFB. Daughter Dionne Stafford is born.
1955	Transferred to the 496th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
1957	Daughter Karin Stafford is born
1958	Attended the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB
1962	Selected by NASA in Astronaut Group 2[1]
1965	Flew on Gemini 6 with Wally Schirra. Awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, his first of 2 [2]
	Gemini 6A	NASA Exceptional Service
1966	Flew on Gemini 9 with Gene Cernan. Awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, his second of 2[2]
	Gemini 9A	NASA Exceptional Service
1969	Flew on Apollo 10 with Gene Cernan and John Young. Awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, his first of 3, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom[2]	Presidential Medal of Freedom
	Apollo 10	NASA Distinguished Service
1975	Flew on Apollo-Soyuz Test Project with Vance Brand and Deke Slayton. Retired from NASA, promoted to Major General. Commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center. Awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, his second of 3[2]
	ASTP	NASA Distinguished Service
1978	Promoted to Lieutenant General, assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff, Research Development and Acquisition
1979	Retired from the US Air Force. Awarded the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal[2]
1988	Married Linda Ann Dishman
1992	Awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor[2]	Congressional Space Medal of Honor
1993	Inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame[3]
1994	Awarded the NASA Public Service Medal
2006	Awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, his third of 3[2]	NASA Distinguished Service

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia List of Astronauts, by Year
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Agency Awards Historical Recipient List
3. ↑ Hall of Fame Bio

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #267961733 retrieved 20 Mar 2024
• Wikipedia: Thomas P Stafford
• Wikidata: Item Q316417, en:Wikipedia
• Ancestry Profile
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBJB-6KB : accessed 12 December 2017), Thomas P Stafford in household of Thomas F Stafford, Weatherford, Weatherford City, Custer, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 20-30B, sheet 4A, line 23, family 87, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3290.
• USAF Bio
• United States Naval Academy Class of 1952
• Obituary