Poet. Author of the poem, 'High Flight.' He was educated in England at Walmer in Kent and then at England's famous public school, Rugby. He was accepted at Yale University, but wanted to enlist to join the war effort. He was an American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and was killed in a mid-air collision at RCAF Digby Aerodome during World War II. He was buried in the church cemetery in the town of Scopwick, England. President Ronald Reagan delivered a television eulogy on January 28, 1986, for the 7 victims of the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, closing with the words of Magee's poem: "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."
Poet. Author of the poem, 'High Flight.' He was educated in England at Walmer in Kent and then at England's famous public school, Rugby. He was accepted at Yale University, but wanted to enlist to join the war effort. He was an American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and was killed in a mid-air collision at RCAF Digby Aerodome during World War II. He was buried in the church cemetery in the town of Scopwick, England. President Ronald Reagan delivered a television eulogy on January 28, 1986, for the 7 victims of the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, closing with the words of Magee's poem: "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."
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PILOT OFFICER
J. G. MAGEE
PILOT
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
11TH DECEMBER 1941 AGE 19
OH I HAVE SLIPPED THE SURLY BONDS OF EARTH
PUT OUT MY HAND AND TOUCHED THE FACE OF GOD
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