Photo: NASA / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Homer Hickam is credited as a military flight engineer, novelist and autobiographer. Homer Hickam was born on February 19, 1943 in Coalwood, West Virginia, United States. That works out to 83 years old in 2026. Education on record includes Big Creek High School. Listed accolades include Bronze Star Medal.
My Take
Hickam's life reads like a screenplay precisely because one of his books became one. A coal miner's son from Coalwood who built rockets, served in Vietnam, earned a Bronze Star, then trained astronauts at NASA, he embodies the most stubborn kind of American dreaming. Rocket Boys, filmed as October Sky, endures because its hope feels earned rather than sentimental. What strikes me most is that he kept writing, turning that single town and its people into a whole body of work. I respect authors who mine their own origins so honestly, and his trajectory from soot to stars still moves me.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Homer Hickam
- Name (Japanese)
- ホーマー・ヒッカム・ジュニア
- Reading
- ほーまー・ひっかむ・じゅにあ
- Born
- February 19, 1943 (age 83)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Goat
- Origin
- Coalwood, West Virginia, United States
- Occupation
- military flight engineer / novelist / autobiographer / writer / screenwriter
2. Background
- High school
- Big Creek High School
Awards & achievements
- Bronze Star Medal
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Rocket Boys | — | |
| Notable work | Back to the Moon | — | |
| Notable work | The Coalwood Way | — | |
| Notable work | The Far Reaches | — | |
| Notable work | Sky of Stone | — | |
| Notable work | Torpedo Junction | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.homerhickam.com/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer%20Hickam
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1626025
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
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.
Frequently asked questions
When was Homer Hickam born?
Born February 19, 1943 (age 83).
Where is Homer Hickam from?
Homer Hickam is from Coalwood, West Virginia, United States.
What does Homer Hickam do?
Homer Hickam works as military flight engineer, novelist, autobiographer, writer, screenwriter.
What is Homer Hickam known for?
Notable works include Rocket Boys, Back to the Moon, The Coalwood Way.
Military flight engineer — see all → · Novelist — see all → · More people from the United States →