Lapeer East students visit grave of Lt. Cmdr. Victor A. Prather II, space hero

The Arlington National Cemetery grave of local space hero, Navy Lt. Commander Victor A. Prather II, a 1943 Lapeer High School graduate and a member of the original class inducted into the Lapeer High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, received a visit from Lapeer East High School eighth graders during their recent Washington, D.C. trip.

Lt. Commander Prather drowned in the Gulf of Mexico after an extreme high altitude balloon flight to test new astronaut suits for the space program.

A number of East students researched Prather's record-breaking high altitude flight and subsequent tragic end as part of their preparation for the annual trip to Washington, D.C.

The work they did was featured on a WJRT-TV, Channel 12 broadcast.

Several photos of their visit can be found on the District's photo gallery.

Lapeer students to visit grave of Lapeer 'space' hero

A group of students visiting Washington, D.C. next month will pay their respects at the Arlington gravesite of a Lapeer High School alum who died testing high altitude space equipment.

Dr. Victor Prather died following a successful balloon flight that took him and another Navy officer 21-miles above the earth.

Channel 12 in Flint did a story on Dr. Prather and the students' trip on tonight's news broadcast.