Clifton Williams

Clifton 'C.C.' Williams (September 26, 1932 - October 5, 1967) was a NASA astronaut and USMC Major who was killed after a mechanical failure caused the flight controls in a T-38 he was piloting to stop responding. The aircraft crashed in Florida near Tallahassee.

Related Topics:
September 26 - 1932 - October 5 - 1967 - NASA - Astronaut - USMC - Major - T-38 - Florida - Tallahassee

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Williams earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Auburn University in 1954. Having joined the Navy ROTC while at AU, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps on August 9 that year. He was married to Beth Lansche Williams and had two children, Catherine and Jane Dee.

Related Topics:
B.S. - Mechanical engineering - Auburn University - ROTC

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He had previously served on the backup crew for Gemini X and had been assigned to the back-up crew for what would be the Apollo 9 mission. This crew placement would have most likely lead to an assignment as Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 12. After his death he was replaced on the Apollo 9 backup crew by Al Bean who had been his commander on the Gemini X backup crew.

Related Topics:
Gemini X - Apollo 9 - Apollo 12 - Al Bean

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The Apollo 12 mission patch has four stars on it - one each for the three astronauts who flew the mission, and one for Williams. Williams is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

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