NASA astronaut Edward Higgins White II was born on November 14, 1930, in San Antonio, Texas. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1952. He was subsequently commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. After a tour of duty in West Germany, White returned to the United States to earn a Master of Science degree in astronautical engineering from the University of Michigan.   White began his career with NASA in September 1962 when he was selected to join the second group of astronauts, known as the New Nine. On June 3, 1965, he embarked on what was to be his first and only space mission: Gemini 4, during which White became the first American to "walk" in space. In total, he logged 97 hours and 56 minutes in space, of which 20 minutes were spent in extravehicular activity.    In 1966, White was selected as Senior Pilot for the first manned Apollo flight, Apollo 1. During pre-launch testing on January 27, 1967, a fire broke out in the Command Module with White and his two crew members, Virgil Grissom and Roger Chaffee, fully suited and strapped into their benches. All three men died in the blaze. In 1997, White was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.