Student Question
Who is Warner Vanbarn in "October Sky?"
Quick answer:
Warner Vanbarn is likely a mistaken reference to Wernher Von Braun in "October Sky." Von Braun, portrayed by Joey DiGaetano in the film, was a prominent German rocket scientist who was brought to the United States after World War II to aid in American rocketry. In the movie, he congratulates Homer Hickam at a science fair, though Homer initially does not recognize him. Von Braun's expertise was crucial in the U.S. space program.
I assume that you are referring to Wernher Von Braun. He was played by Joey DiGaetano in the movie "October Sky."
Wernher Von Braun was a real person. He was one of the leading rocket scientists in the world. He was born in Germany in 1912 and was, by World War II, one of the main experts on rocketry in Germany.
After the end of World War II, the Americans who were occupying Germany took Von Braun and other scientists out of Germany and sent them to the United States. A major reason for this is that they didn't want them to fall into the hands of the Russians because that would have helped the Russians develop rockets more quickly.
In the movie, Von Braun congratulates Homer for wining the science fair, but Homer doesn't know who he is until later.
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