Photo: NASA / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ellison Onizuka is one of those figures who makes you stop and feel the full weight of what it means to chase a dream. A Japanese American kid from a small coffee-farming town on the Big Island of Hawaii, he worked his way through aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado, earned his Air Force wings, and then — quietly, without fanfare — became the first Asian American to fly in space on the Discovery mission in 1985. That alone is enormous. He carried an entire community's hopes into orbit and made it look like the most natural thing in the world. When Challenger broke apart on January 28, 1986, the loss was devastating, but the legacy he left behind — honored by the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2004 — only grows with time. I think about how an Eagle Scout from Kailua-Kona literally reached the stars, and it genuinely moves me.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ellison Onizuka
- Name (Japanese)
- エリソン・オニヅカ
- Reading
- えりそん・おにづか
- Born
- June 24, 1946 – January 28, 1986
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Dog
- Origin
- Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States
- Occupation
- military officer / astronaut / engineer
2. Background
- High school
- Konawaena High School
- University
- University of Colorado
Awards & achievements
- 2004 Congressional Space Medal of Honor
- 1986 NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- Eagle Scout
- Meritorious Service Medal
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Ellison Onizuka born?
June 24, 1946 – January 28, 1986.
Where is Ellison Onizuka from?
Ellison Onizuka is from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States.
What does Ellison Onizuka do?
Ellison Onizuka works as military officer, astronaut, engineer.
Military officer — see all → · Astronaut — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.