Commander John Herrington

 

 

Recently John B. Herrington Commander US Navy (Ret), spoke at the Certiport PATHWAYS conference in Toronto, Ontario. The focus of these sessions was how Indigenous Peoples can utilize digital technologies to share and safely preserve their stories, develop their communities, and take coordinated actions on critical economic, social, environmental, cultural, healing and human rights challenges.

John, an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, was chosen by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and flew his first space mission in 2002. Born September 14, 1958 in Wetumka, Oklahoma. He grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Riverton, Wyoming, and Plano, Texas. He has two children. He enjoys flying, rock climbing, snow skiing, running, and cycling. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Herrington, reside in Spicewood, Texas.

John is a veteran of one space shuttle mission. He is the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in space. He earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs before receiving his commission in the United States Navy in 1984. He served three deployments in the Pacific region before being assigned as a test pilot. Herrington was chosen by NASA as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and few his first space mission in 2002 as a mission specialist aboard STS-113.

To honor his Indigenous heritage John carried an Eagle Feather and a Chickasaw Nation fag on his eleven-day journey in space. These items are now on display at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

John is a life member of the Association of Naval Aviation, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a Sequoyah Fellow of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. John has dedicated his life to encouraging Indigenous young people in achieving greatness in science, mathematics, and their cultural richness.

In a recent interview with SAY Magazine, John answered questions prepared by SAY Magazine’s System Manager, who is working towards obtaining his Commercial Pilot’s License.

Q. What was the most challenging situation you encountered during your flying career?

A. In the l980’s we few four-engine turbo props in Alaska, chasing Russian submarines. There were major weather challenges for the Search and Rescue operations. During one of the coldest winters in Alaska we receive a radio alert that a ship was going down and needed help.

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