William Atwater

William Felix Atwater (born November 12, 1945) is an American author and former director of the United States Army Ordnance Museum in Aberdeen, Maryland. Atwater is also a frequent guest contributor to a variety of television programs that draw on his expertise in military weaponry.

Early life William F. Atwater was born on November 12, 1945, in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, in 1968 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science. Following a decade of service in the U.S. military, he attended Duke University where he was awarded a Master of Arts in Military History in 1984 and a Ph.D in military history in 1985. His nickname was Jack. Promoted to captain, he served all over the world in various assignments and attended numerous military schools during a ten-year career in the Marine Corps. In 1985, after earning his Doctorate from Duke, William Atwater assumed the directorship of the 101st Airborne/Air Assault Divisional Museum at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, a position he held until 1989. He also served as a technical advisor for the book Black Hawk Down. Atwater has appeared as a firearms and ordnance expert in many documentaries regarding military history on such television channels as The History Channel, TLC, Discovery Channel, and The Military Channel. One of Atwater's recent projects is preserving some of the last remaining historic military assets in the world. Atwater said of the Ordnance Museum Foundation that "It is our moral and legal responsibility to preserve military assets".

Awards In addition to his previously noted military honors, Atwater’s civilian awards include:

The Excellence in Federal Service Award Outstanding Civilian Service Award Commander's Award for Public Service The Order of Samuel Sharpe Member, Hall of Fame, Ordnance Corps Association