(WatchDogReport.org) – American hero William Anders, who was one of Apollo 8’s NASA astronauts who orbited the moon, died on June 7 at the age of 90 after his plane fatally crashed in San Juan County, Washington. In a press release, the county Sheriff’s Office said that Anders was in an “older model plane” that was flying in the county from north to south when it suddenly lost control and went straight into the water near Jones Island. The office said that the plane had sunk.
In a public letter, Anders’ son Gregory confirmed his death and explained that he and his family were devastated, as his father was healthy and was doing what he always loved. He added that his family and many people in the United States are grieving the loss not only of “a great pilot” but also of a good man and an American hero who made history.
The US Coast Guard also published a statement where it detailed that a dive team from numerous agencies recovered Anders’ body after an hours-long search that covered 216 nautical miles. The Coast Guard also sent its condolences to Anders’ family and said he was an American hero who will always be remembered.
Anders was born in Hong Kong back in October 17, 1933. His NASA biography said he served as a US fighter pilot in numerous interception squadrons at the Air Defense Command and was able to fly in every type of weather. He was also responsible for managing some radiation effects programs at the Air Force’s Weapons Laboratory in New Mexico.
During the Apollo 8 mission, Anders took the historic photo of planet Earth with the surface of the moon in the forefront, which was eventually titled “Earthrise.” At that moment, the astronaut famously said that the Apollo 8 mission came to the moon to explore it but ended up discovering “the earth.”
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