DULUTH — For a keynote speaker for the

2024 Memorial Dinner, St. Louis County Historical Society and Veterans Memorial Hall

turned to a man of higher birth who spent a lot of time underwater and in space.

Retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Col. Jeff Williams shared his experiences Friday evening with guests at the St. Louis County depot.

Williams retired in January after more than 27 years of service to NASA

and is credited with a key role in the design, construction and operation of the International Space Station. Among many accomplishments, Williams holds the record for the longest time spent in space by an American with a cumulative 534 days. (Peggy Whitson, a colleague of Williams, spent a total of 665 days in space, the most for an American of either sex.) Williams is also an author, having written “The Work of Her Hands: A View from the creation of God from space. »

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

“He’s someone who, when he needs his mail held, he can literally say, ‘Can you hold my mail please for a few months, I’m going to leave the planet,'” joked Donna Bergstrom of Duluth, a U.S. Marine. Army Corps reserves Lt. Col. while introducing Williams.

Williams was born in Superior in 1958, but moved with his family to Bloomer when he was a newborn. They eventually moved to Winter, where he graduated from high school in 1976. He later earned a degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Currently, he and his wife live in Washington. Although his life in the Twin Ports was short, it means a lot to him to be invited to speak in an area that was once his home.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

“It’s actually an honor and it’s an experience management responsibility that I still have high regard for,” Williams said. “It is obvious that few people have such experiences. It particularly inspires young people, but it inspires everyone.

Williams’ work includes time on the International Space Station with Expeditions 13 and 21 as a flight engineer and commander of Expedition 22. Williams also spent six days underwater, as commander of NEEMO 3 (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) on board. the Aquarius underwater laboratory.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

“I remember dreaming about hypothetically doing things like that, floating and being able to go underwater when I was a kid,” Williams said. “But it was just one of those dreams. I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of becoming an astronaut.

Speaking of dreams, the News Tribune couldn’t help but ask how do you sleep when you’re literally out of this world?

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

“You don’t really put your head to the pillow,” Williams said. “You just attach your sleeping bag to the wall in your dark crew quarters, then you step into the sleeping bag and zip it up so you don’t float around bumping into things, then you just float inside of the sleeping bag. It’s actually very strange. It takes some getting used to. Honestly, I didn’t sleep very soundly in space because you never knew when you were going to be woken up by an emergency alarm or, or something like that and you wanted to be ready for that. But it’s a very unique feeling.

Others also had questions for Williams. Although he didn’t dive into his underwater adventures, Williams spoke about his career, his missions and his work with the International Space Station. After a 40-minute presentation that included numerous photos taken during his space travels, he devoted another 35 minutes to a question-and-answer session with the audience, covering a variety of topics.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Do people get sick in space?

“Yes, we have our own term for it. We call it SAS, spatial adaptation syndrome. It’s like motion sickness. Fortunately, I have never experienced this.

What is the scariest thing?

“The most intense thing is a spacewalk, because you are 100% tethered with a braided steel cable. If you lack a tether, you have moved 85 feet away from the airlock and have to go another 40 feet. You need to forward to another link. We have a single-use emergency backpack that in an emergency would allow us to return to the station, but I wouldn’t count on it, so you don’t want to get untied.

Have you ever seen a UFO?

“I say, yes, regularly. I see the contrail but I can’t tell if it’s an Airbus or a Boeing,” he joked. “So it’s not identified.”

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

His Friday included a visit to Denfeld High School and sharing his exploration experiences with students.

“I have had people, teachers and others who have inspired me to go beyond what I otherwise would have done and so it is important to embrace these opportunities and be a source of inspiration ” Williams said.

The 2024 Memorial Dinner also included video messages of thanks from Congressman Pete Stauber and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. Senior Proctor Jaedyn Roemhildt received the Mike Colalillo Medal of Honor Scholarship and U.S. Navy Reserve Lt. Commander Jeffrey Wencl was the master of ceremonies.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Dan Williamson joined the Duluth News Tribune in June 2021, where he is involved in digital content such as videos, photos and podcasts, as well as breaking news coverage. Previously, he worked in broadcast television as a sports director/anchor at WDIO-TV in Duluth, sports director/anchor in Bismarck, ND, news and sports anchor at KSAX-TV in Alexandria, and reporter/photographer/ editor for the syndicated show. “Living to the Fullest” in Eden Prairie. He also served as director of development for the Salvation Army of Duluth. Williamson grew up in Alexandria, graduated from St. Cloud State University and has lived in Duluth since 2012.