Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Editor: Oscar D. Teel
President: George E. Watson
THE PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Greetings Fellow
Chapter Members
Here we are well
into a new year
and it looks like it’s
going to be another
busy one. In 2010
we lost two of our
Chapter members,
Bob Maxwell and
Herb Blackman
George Watson
Chapter President
and a former chapter member, John
Smith. Let us continue our prayers for their
families as they forge ahead without their loved
ones. You read about Bob in our previous
newsletter and you’ll read more about Herb in
this one. John Smith was a military veteran’s
man. If a veteran was involved, John was involved and doing all he could to help.
In December, we had election/reelection of officers. Thank you for re-electing me as your
president. Jeff Woodson will remain as our VP,
Arlys Erickson as Treasurer, and Bill McNeil as
Recording secretary. Congratulations to
Paulette Mello as our corresponding secretary.
More about Paulette later. Also, at our end of
the year meeting we emphasized the importance of our youth program and activities. Mary
Snear-McNeil will be our chair person. It’s looking real good as Mary Snear-McNeil, Arlys
Erickson and Paulette Mello are doing a fantastic job organizing an event for late April.
Paulette Mello: What can we say about her?
Perhaps not enough. She, along with her family, Joe and Cheyenne (Cheyenne, a youth
The President’s Message continues on page 4
General
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
Chapter
San Diego
San Diego, CA.
March 2011
Herbert L. Blackman, Jr
1927-2011
It is with deep regret that we report
the passing of one of
the Chapter’s hardest working members. Herb passed
away on January 23.
Herb was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey and spent his
early years there and
in Lexington, Ky.
Herb received a
Bachelor’s degree
from Howard University and a Master’s Degree
from Purdue University. He retired from the Air
Force after a career in Civil Engineering. He is
survived by his wife of 58 years, Lolitta, who is
also a Chapter member. Herb took care of all of
our equipment, books, posters, furniture etc.,
and many, many times he hauled our equipment
to street fairs and retrieved them to put them
back in storage. He was on the Scholarship
Committee and always wanted the best for our
youth. Herb also held the office of Corresponding Secretary. Herb often accompanied Chapter speakers to events to give them support.. At
our major events He took care of all of the facilities and interfacing with the proper authorities
for buses to bring the children. You seldom
knew he was there because he remained in the
background.
Herb was never an angry man; he always
smiled, he spoke softly. He was a joy to work
with. He exhibited these traits always and we,
should try to emulate him.
We offer our sincere condolences to the
Blackman family.
Page 2
By Request
The following correspondence was received from Zellie Rainey Orr. It is a very important piece of
history and you should consider it when giving presentations about the Tuskegee Airmen. It is a testimony to the character of the Tuskegee Airmen that even in times of extreme stress, they were able
to practice civility and be excellent hosts. Ed.
TODAY IN TUSKEGEE AIRMEN HISTORY: By Zellie Rainey Orr
December 29, 1944, the weather was notorious and unyielding. Encountering zero visibility, some
eighteen B-24 bomber crews were returning from a mission, flying in the wrong direction. Running
low on fuel and headed towards the Adriatic, they were in imminent danger. However, the alert response by the on-duty control tower operator at Ramitelli, in recognizing the sound of the engines.
...aided in effecting a safe landing.
In juggling a forced landing of the big "heavies" (bombers) at Ramitelli on its short airstrip built for
fighters. ..and the "red-tail" (fighter) pilots returning from their mission...the lives of some 180 bomb
crewmen were saved. The unrelenting weather stranded the white visitors for several days at the
Negro base, forging a historical milestone--blacks and whites. ..living, eating, and sleeping together.
My research would divulge, seventeen of the eighteen bomb crews were from the 485th Bombardment Group (and one from the 455th). Thus, I would begin filling in the missing pieces via my contact with Jerry Whiting and Dan Haulman. Jerry is the Historian of the 485th BG, and son of Wayne
Whiting, a tail gunner with the 485th that was temporarily "housed" at Ramitelli. Dan is Chief of the
Organizational History Division (Air Force Historical Research Agency) at Maxwell.
Prior to the departure of the B-24's, the 332nd Fighter Group Public Relations Officer, Eugene
Weaver, placed a letter in each plane. Below is a copy of that letter (from Jerry). Also, a copy of the
Letter of Appreciation from the Commanding Officer of the 485t BG, Col. Jack Tomhave, to the
366th Air Service Squadron of the 332nd FG (from Dan)
TO THE VISITING PILOTS AND CREWS:
YOU HAVE BEEN THE GUESTS OF THE 332ND ALL NEGRO FLIGHTER GROUP. WE HOPE
THAT OUR FACILITIES, SUCH AS THEY ARE, WERE SUITABLE AND ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO
HAVE MADE YOUR STAY HERE A PLEASANT ONE. ON BEHALF OF COLONEL DAVIS AND
THE COMMAND, I EXTEND TO YOU OUR MOST HEARTY WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR
AND MANY HAPPIER LANDINGS. YOU ARE WELCOME TO RETURN HERE AT ANY TIME AND I
AM SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE YOUR STAY AN ENJOYABLE ONE. THE PILOTS OF THIS
COMMAND HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR DESIRES TO HAVE IT MADE CLEAR THAT IT IS A
PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOU AND LOOK AFTER YOUR WELL-BEING BOTH IN
THE AIR AND HERE ON THE GROUND. REMEMBER, WHEN YOU ARE UP THERE AND SEE
THE RED TAILED MUSTANGS IN THE SKY, THEY ARE YOUR FRIENDS OF THE 332ND
FIGHTER GROUP. HERE IS HOPING FOR A QUICK ENDING OF THE WAR AND A BETTER
AND MORE PEACEFUL WORLD.
MANY HAPPY LANDINGS,
/s/ Eugene D. Weaver
EUGENE D. WEAVER
Capt., Air Corps,
Public Relations O.
By Request
Page 3
Headquarters
485th Bombardment Group (H)
APO 529
US ARMY
6 January 1945
Major E. Jones, Jr.
366th Air Service Squadron
APO 520, US Army
Dear Major Jones,
On behalf of the Officers and Enlisted Men of 485th Bombardment Group, I want to personally thank
you for the courtesy and assistance which you and the personnel of the 366th Air Service Squadron
so splendidly offered to our crews which landed at your base on 29 December 1944. I fully realize
what an inconvenience this forced landing must have made on your facilities, and the remarkable
manner in which you people of the 15th Fighter Command rose to the situation is all the more commendable.
The very able assistance which your Service Squadron has given to the 332nd Fighter Group is well
known, and now you have proven yourselves just as capable in servicing our heavy bombers.
Sincerely yours,
/s/Jack P. Tomhave
JACK P. TOMHAVE
Colonel, Air Corps
Commanding
DO YOU REMEMBER
...when The City of Lancaster, California, honored the Tuskegee Airmen?
A number of the
Los Angeles
and San Diego
Chapter members were in attendance.
February 28,
1999
Page 4
By Request
President Column, continued from Page 1
chapter member) were very instrumental in getting us a space and setting up a booth at North
Island for the Centennial of Naval Aviation.
Thanks guys! Also, thanks to the Rowe family
(Claude our Documented Original Tuskegee Airman who attended) and the McNeil’s for braving
the traffic. Me? I didn’t have a traffic problem
because I was in the air flying in the T-34 formation…really exciting. Never thought I’d being doing that. Again, a big thank you to everyone.
Welcome to our new members, Mrs Winnie
Rowe, Dorothy Rowe, Mrs. Hilda Teel, Mrs. Mary
Snear-McNeil, and youth member, Cheyene
Mello.
We had an exciting weekend in Palms Springs on
the 18th and 19th of March—T34 Fly-in at the
Palms Springs Air Museum. Oscar Teel came by
and was my GIB (guy in the backseat) for one
flight on Saturday. We had fun…didn’t we
Oscar? But man it was windy (bumpy ride). I
very briefly checked my rear view mirror and
Oscar appeared to be enjoying it. Me? I wanted
to get out.
I’ll have an auto biography in the next newsletter
for the whole world to see. May we always have
a tail wind and keep the shiny side up.
If you fly in the back seat with George
piloting, he looks like this..
CHECK THESE OUT!
In our area, less than 100 miles away, we have three
fine air museums with Tuskegee Airmen displays:
San Diego Air and Space Museum, March Reserve Air
Base Museum and the Palm Springs Air Museum.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
They never lost a bomber chronicle Below is the statement recommended by the
TAI Harry A. Sheppard Research Committee,
and agreed upon by the Board of Directors, as
the best way to end the controversy.
Your National Board is recommending that TAI
Chapter Presidents inform their members accordingly and adhere to below language or the
essence of the statements contained therein.
"The results of the extensive research investigations by several independent investigators in
reviewing the records of the 332nd Fighter
Group and all other fighter groups of 15th Air
Force, 15th AF Bomber Wings and Groups and
Missing Air Crew (MAC) Reports at the Air
Force Historical Research Agency and the National Archives, revealed that some bombers
were lost to enemy aircraft while being escorted
by the 332nd Fighter Group during the period
June 1, 1944 to the end of the war.
Regardless of these latest findings, the 332nd
FG still had an outstanding combat record (that)
inspired revolutionary reform in the United
States Armed Forces."
It is requested that all Documented Original
Tuskegee Airmen and other Tuskegee Airmen,
Inc., members discontinue making any statement that implies that 332nd FG "Never lost a
bomber to enemy aircraft" and further it is recommended that for good public relations that
they correct others who have been misinformed
or who are making inaccurate or incorrect statements.
The above article, used with permission, is reprinted from
the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Newsletter, Winter EditionJanuary 2011
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
Tuskegeeaisd.org
COMMENTS OR INPUTS FOR FUTURE
NEWSLETTERS
odteel@hotmail.com
By Request
Page 5
2011 TUSKEGEE AIRMEN NATIONAL
CONVENTION
SAVE THE DATE
Red Tails - The Movie
Red Tails, the movie is coming to local theaters
in the very near future The expected release date
is late 2011.
The East Coast Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
(ECCTAI) is honored to host the 40th Annual
Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. National Convention, August 2-7, 2011, at the Gaylord National Resort &
Convention Center, National Harbor, MD, just
outside Washington, DC.
The movie is a fictional story inspired by the historic and heroic exploits of America's first all
black aerial combat units, who overcame racism
to become the Tuskegee Airmen, a distinguished
group of individuals who broke the color barrier
forming several first all-black aviation units in US
history. The film's title comes from the distinctive
The theme for the event is “70 Years of Aviation
red painted tails on the Airmen's planes.
Excellence: Then, Now, the FUTURE.” We will
honor the 70th Anniversary and the start of the
The movie is produced by George Lucas and di“Tuskegee Airmen Experience when in 1941 Afrirected by Anthony Hemingway. His credits incan-Americans and other disadvantaged ethnic
cluded The Wire, Battlestar Galactica and CSl
groups began their exploits to serve their country
New York, and will showcase the skill of the Tusin an honorable manner in the military.
kegee pilots
As you know, the “Airmen” laid the foundation
proving that all citizens, given the opportunity,
could perform in an exceptional manner and with
distinction. This significant milestone should be
the largest gathering of Documented Original
Tuskegee Airmen in recent history.
Registration for the convention will open March 1,
2011and close May 31, 2011. Late registration
will be allowed through June 30, 2011 at an increased registration fee. You may reserve your
room at the Gaylord, at the convention rate of
$129.00 per night, by visiting
www.tuskegeeairmen.org or www.ecctai.org and
clicking on “convention” or calling (301)965-4000.
Quoted in a release George Lucas said, "I've
been wanting to do " Red Tails" for 20 years, and
we've finally got the means to showcase the skill
of the Tuskegee pilots. We're working on techniques which will give us the first true look at the
aerial dog fighting of the era. And our top notch
cast will really make this story special"
The movie boasts an ‘a’ list of actors, including
Cuba Gooding Jr, Bryan Cranstoll, Daniela Rush,
Terrence Howard, Gerald McRaney, Tristan
Wilds, Robert Kazinsky, Michael B Jordan, Lee
Tergesen, Andre Royo and Cliff Smith (aka
Method Man) to name a few.
The above article is reprinted from the Tuskegee Airmen,
The convention rate is good three days prior to
Inc. Newsletter, Winter Edition-January 2011
and after the convention. A pre-convention event
hosted by the East Coast Chapter will be the
WE NEED YOUR HELP
“Benjamin O. Davis Golf Tournament” on August
We have some activities coming up and we
1, 2011 at Joint Base Andrews, MD. Visit
need your help. A tour of the Lindbergh
www.ecctai.org for more information.
tower is scheduled, the Young Eagles will
show up on April 23 and we will participate
COME EARLY AND ENJOY THE FUN!
for two days in Wings over Gillespie in late
May. Contact President Watson and hold up
SEE YOU IN D.C.
your right hand. You’ll be glad you did.
The above article is reprinted from the Tuskegee Airmen,
Wouldn’t you like to head the Scholarship
Inc. Newsletter, Winter Edition-January 2011
Committee?
Page 6
By Request
Centennial of Naval Aviation
Celebrating 100 years of Naval Aviation
1911-2011
Thanks to the Mello family, Paulette, Joe and
Cheyenne, our Chapter was well represented to
assist the Navy in its Centennial celebration.
Paulette, ably assisted by her husband and
daughter, arrived early to set up the tables and
displays. If you did not arrived early, perhaps
you got to see the fly-bys from the Coronado
Bridge. Other members stuck in the traffic included Capt. Claude Rowe and the McNeil family, Bill and Mary. The Chapter president,
George Watson, was the lucky one. He piloted
a T-34 and his three-plane formation was one of
the first to pass in review.
Paulette Mello setting up the displays
Over 190 airplanes were involved in the fly-by
which was opened and closed by the Blue Angels. Seventy-eight aircraft of all types were displayed on the ground including one of the oldest
a JN-4H Jenny and one of the newest, the unmanned Global Hawk..
CHARLES C. SHOCKLEY
AUTHOR
Paulette, Cheyenne and Joe Mello
Tuskegee Airmen Capt. Claude Rowe and
Paulette Mello
Charles Shockley, former president of this
Chapter, with time on his hands, has written two
books. Shockley had an exciting career as an
Army officer during the era when civil rights
were introduced to the South. He was in uniform and he was on the front line. We highlighted his experiences in an early article which
we will reprint at a later date. In the meantime,
consider obtaining his books. One book is :
Conflict in Black & White, Memories of a Civil
Rights Soldier 1960 and 1962. The second book
is titled Flying into History, the story of an African American aviator during the Vietnam War,
Cold War, and as the first black executive pilot
for a fortune 500 Corporation.
These books may be ordered through the
publishers website: “By Books on the Web”.com
(BBOTW.COM). Just search under Shockley as
the author. They can also be purchased
through Amazon.com.
There is a wonderful display of Shockley at
the San Diego Air and Space Museum. Please
go see it and the Tuskegee Airmen display.
By Request
Page 7
My life at Keesler
Keesler Field, Mississippi, that is
By Oscar D. Teel
I spend a lot of time
working on the genealogy of my family. I
wanted to know from
whence I came. There
are over 400 names in
my files. I am also encouraged to write about
my experiences in the
military. Do your children, grandchildren,
etc., know what you
did? I did nothing truly
exciting but they still
ask. One day yours will
wonder, too. I suggest
CMSgt Oscar D. Teel
A few days before retiring you start writing today.
This is the beginning of
my experiences. For my family, I intend to write
about my military experience and my life after retiring, which to me was just as exciting.
My military career started at Ft. Hancock, New
Jersey, November 1945, where I had a physical, and
a few tests. The second day in the Army, after having been issued uniforms and a warm overcoat, I
was put on guard duty, at night, walking on top of a
wall overlooking the dark Atlantic Ocean. Three days
later I was on a troop train heading for Keesler Field,
Mississippi. There I met 13 other guys and we were
told we were going to Tuskegee.
We did not have assigned duties because we
were waiting for orders to Tuskegee. Yes, we did
have details like KP and guard duty. I hooked up
with guys on the flight line. There, the black guys
took care of the AT-6s. They taught me how to run
them up and we got to fly any day our plane flew.
We later got some P-51s and they taught me how to
run them up also. In later years I was qualified to
run-up F-106s. One day, at Keesler, some of the
squadron pilots were flying a C-47 to Willow Grove
in Pennsylvania. I went with them. We were there
overnight. We all slept together in the same room.
When we returned to Keesler we went back to our
segregated routine. I also got to fly in a B-25. I
climbed through a little square hole to get up to the
nose for a wonderful view. I see B-25s today but
can no longer get through that little hole.
This idyllic setting changed when the first sergeant called the 14 of us together and told us
Tuskegee had closed and we would remain at
Keesler. We were all made clerks. There were two
black squadrons, F-1 and F-2, (both with the designation ‘Aviation’) and we were split up, half to each
squadron. When I told the first sergeant, M/Sgt.
Cleophas H. Taylor, that I knew nothing about typing, he replied “You’ll learn, boy.” After the military
was integrated I was able to get into radar.
A few weeks later, guys were arriving from Tuskegee since it had closed. The only one I remember
meeting was one named Claude Platt. We were told
that he had been an instructor pilot at Tuskegee. I
think he later flew for United Airlines.
Mississippi was segregated and not a very pleasant place unless you stayed on the base, which was
also segregated. We had our own hobby shop, PX,
Service Club, Gym and Movie Theatre. We had one
black officer, 2d Lt Caldwell, and he was billeted in a
large building of probably 20 rooms all by himself.
As a clerk typist I did general typing and the
Morning Report. A few months before I was due to
be discharged, I was assigned as a clerk in a white
squadron. Everyone else had desks in the front of
the big orderly room and mine was way in the back.
But, I did get a letter of commendation from that
squadron commander.
A few months ago I attempted to find some of the
13 other guys who were in the class with me waiting
to go to Tuskegee and also S/Sgt Herman Brandon
who was in charge of us on the flight line. The note I
got back from the Air Force on five guys I asked
about just said ‘deceased’ by their names.
Interestingly, I had forgotten about my almost becoming a Tuskegee Airmen. While on a trip to North
Carolina I took a chance to call a guy, Henry F. Edwards, who had been one of the chief clerks and
was sort of a mentor to me. He left the military in
1946 and earned a PhD in Education. After about
30 years he was still living in the same town and
was in the phone directory. He knew we were supposed to go to Tuskegee and asked me if I ever got
there. My answer was in the negative.
We were young, energetic, somewhat intelligent,
slim, really slim, and just so full of life. It is terrible to
realize that these guys who I knew so well who were
so vibrant and with such great expectations are no
longer with us. But, that is our destiny. I look at my
few photos of them and it brings back good memories. And good memories are pleasant to have.
I regret that I never stayed in contact with any of
the other guys. We had a lot in common. But, we
had the unfortunate luck of arriving after the war
ended and just missed going to Tuskegee.
Page 8
By Request
DO YOU REMEMBER?
On 14 January 1999, 8 members from our chapter and two from the Inland Empire Chapter were invited to visit
the aircraft carrier, CV-64, USS Constellation, that was somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean. The visit was arranged by chapter member Jerry Moore, Jr. Pictured above on deck are George Mitchell, Nelson Robinson, unidentified crewmember, Sailor of the Year CPO Jerry Moore, Jr., Louis Murray (now deceased) and Chapter Vice
President Danny Allen. Others on the visit not pictured are Eugene Cheatham, Jr. (now deceased), William B.
Ellis, Alphonso L. Harris, Thurman Pirtle, Oscar Teel, and Buford Johnson. The group left North Island NAS on
a C-2 type aircraft and 45 minutes later were ‘trapped’ on the carrier. The next day after giving presentations to
celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday, they were catapulted off and returned home.
The family of long time members of
our Chapter, Ted and Margo Leimbach. “These are just my grandchildren”, according to Ted.
Ted was treasurer of the Chapter for
many years.
By Request
Page 9
PAULETTE MELLO
A Dynamo in our Chapter
I was a
teenager when
I first saw the
Blue Angels
flying their A-4F
aircraft at an air
show at NAS
Moffett Field in
Mountain View,
CA. That is
when my interest in aviation
and aerospace
literally took off.
When I started
attending a
community college in the Silicon Valley area, I
coincidently landed a job at NASA Ames Research Center. I initially started working in HR but
found myself spending my lunch time walking by
the flight line and wind tunnels. Eventually, I networked my way and was able to transfer to the
Aircraft Worthiness department as an office clerk
and also assisted engineers with AutoCAD drawings. It was amazing to work around such research aircraft like the U-2, T-38, C-130 and UH60 helo. It fueled my interest to one day have a
career in aviation.
Many years later and after a traumatic life
event in which I had to put school and my future
plans on hold, I am now actively pursuing that
goal again. I have been attending Embry Riddle
Aeronautical University and I am not going to lie,
it has been a challenge returning back to school
after all these years. But when I look at the previous women in aviation history like Bessie Coleman, who have had to endure much to break barriers and paved the path for me, my grumbling
stops. Bessie Coleman broke barriers of both racial and gender stereotypes with her passion and
desire to learn how to fly. Her success, even
though short-lived, provided a stepping stone for
other Blacks to enter the realm of aviation. I do
not necessarily want to learn how to fly (sorry
George), but the field itself fascinates me.
Being an African woman and having the
interest in aviation, I am literally in a minority
category as there are not a whole lot of women of
color out there in the aviation field. Being a part of
our Tuskegee Airmen chapter in addition to being
the outreach co-chair for the San Diego Women
in Aviation chapter, have been a blessing for me
to be a part of, especially at this juncture in my
life as I look toward future endeavors. A priority
goal that we have discussed in our chapter is
reaching out toward the youth. Coming from
someone who did not have that support and mentorship in my career selection, this goal is very
important to me. As we have embarked on a new
year, I look forward to working and contributing
my part towards this objective.
(A much thinner me with the UH-60 used in the
Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne
Laboratory (RASCAL) Program at NASA Ames)
TUSKEGEE AIRMEN CHRONOLOGY
We have copies of the Tuskegee Airmen
Chronology that depicts in fine detail activities of
the Tuskegee Airmen from activation of the Civilian Pilot Training Act of 1939 up to the inactivation of the 332nd Fighter Group on 1 July
1949. This report is the work of Dr. David L.
Haulman, Chief, Organization History Division,
Air Force Historical Research Agency. This is
an expanded edition dated 4 January 2011.
This Chronology is a must if you are interested in the history and day-to-day activities of
the Tuskegee Airmen, including each mission
they flew, from the beginning to the end.
We have made a few copies of this 70 page
document and will loan copies to our Chapter
members or whoever would like to read it.
Page 10
By Request
BILL McNEIL
By Bill (Big Dog) McNeil
I have always had an
interest in airplanes: I
recalled as a little boy
asking my mother
why were the floodlights shinning in the
sky. My mother informed me that was
the way they
searched for loss aircrafts. I later found
out neither was true, it
wasn’t floodlights and
a search was not
taken place: it actually
was the rotating beacon reflecting off the clouds. I
continued this interest in High School, I would
take the EL, short for Elevated Train, to the last
stop or the end of the line to the Northeast Philadelphia Airport to watch airplanes take-off and
land at the small airport. I would visit so often the
air controllers invited me to visit the control tower
to observe a closer look at the operation. Iit was
fascinating my first exposure to air traffic control.
Note: Many years later this was the first facility I
was assigned to by the FAA as an Air Traffic
Manager, more on my FAA career later.
After graduating from High School I worked for
a couple years in private industry. My career was
going nowhere so I thought it was time for
change. I decided to join the Navy. Initially I was
assigned to UDT, Under Water Demolition Team
precursor to the SEALS. Due to an injury I was
forced to go into a different direction. That’s when
I choose to be an Air Controller in the Navy. I was
sent to Class A school in Georgia. Upon graduation I was assigned to NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, FL first major jet port in the Navy. I then
was assigned the USS Enterprise first nuclear
power aircraft carrier in the Navy. I served two
nine months tours of duty in Viet Nam for total of
18 months. While in Viet Nam I was detailed to a
South Korean ROK Tiger Group, in which everyone had a Tenth degree black belt. The Korean’s
took no prisoners of war!
After leaving the Navy I held several jobs before
settling in with the FAA. I had a fun career with
the FAA. I was first employed at the New York
Common IFR Room which housed the radar
room for Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Airports. Later on I transferred to Kennedy Tower
because I wanted to visually see the airplanes.
From Kennedy Tower I transferred to Philadelphia International Tower until we had a nation
wide strike, in which I chose not to participate. I
was then asked to return to New York as a Supervisor to help the agency recover from this job
action. Once the recovery settled down I transferred to the Regional Office as an Air Traffic
expert in the Operation Branch. After leaving the
Regional Office,, I became the Air Traffic Manager of the Northeast Tower in Philadelphia and
for a short period of time I was the Air Traffic
Manager for Northeast Tower and Trenton
Tower at the same time. I also should mention
that the Northeast Tower was awarded Facility
of Year under my leadership.
I was then transferred to Newark Tower, as the
Deputy Air Traffic Manager. Later on I became
the Acting Air Traffic Manager. I then transferred
back to the Regional Office as a Section Supervisor in Airspace, Procedures and Traffic Management Branch. I then transferred to San
Diego TRACON as the Training and Quality Assurance Manager. The Southern California
TRACON absorbed San Diego, Los Angeles,
Burbank, Coast and Ontario TRACONS all under one roof for which I was the Training Manager. I held several other positions before retiring in 2002. I now work part-time in the ProShop at Welk Resort in Escondido. What I
won’t do for free golf!
Note: Bill is Chapter Recording Secretary
WELL, I DO DECLARE!
I’ll bet this never happened on Bill’s watch. Did
you read about the air traffic controller who fell
asleep and the pilots landed safely anyway?
How about the one who took a potty break and
locked himself out of the tower? Flying is safer
than ever…….
By Request
Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Mrs.
Carter’s obtaining her private
pilots’ license, from Tuskegee’s
Civilian Pilot Training Program on
February 1, 2011
Mildred Hemmons
Carter was born on
Sept 14, 1921 in Benson, Alabama. After
spending her early
childhood in Alabama,
she moved with her
parents to North Carolina. She graduated
from high school at an
early age of 15, and
immediately began her
college career at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. At the age of 19,
she graduated with a
degree in Business.
She was always interested in flying and applied to
join the CPTP (Civilian Pilot Training Program). Due
to her young age, was denied entrance to join this
program. But, she applied again, and was accepted
the second time and received her Private Pilot's license in 1941.
She then applied for the Advanced Program, but
was denied on the basis that female pilots were not
accepted in the Advanced Program.
A few years later when the US Army began its recruiting of women pilots through the Women's Air
Service Program (WASP), and while she was more
than qualified, she was informed she was ineligible
because they did not accept Negro Women. But,
she has continued to be a private pilot and her interest in Aviation through the years by training young
pilots. For many years, she has also been actively
involved in many community programs as a volunteer.
In August 1942, she married Col. Herbert E.
Carter, who is one of the famed and honored Tuskegee Airmen. They have three children, five grand
children and recently became great-grandparents of
two grandsons.
Mildred Carter might not think of herself as a living legend, but her accomplishments at a time and
place when her race and gender were roadblocks,
identify her as such.
The above article, used with permission, is reprinted from
the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Central Region Newsletter,
“The Central Line”, Jan-Feb 2011
Page 11
WE RECOMMEND
Books and Places
The March 2000 edition of By Request provided a list of recommended books and articles
on Black flyers and issues of segregation. One of
our long time members suggested we revisit that
subject and she, Christine Epstein, not only offered books but places to visit. Please join us in
expanding our list. Chris recommended Views
From the Back of the Bus During WWII by
Dempsey J. Travis, published in 1995. Travis
was a self-made millionaire, who sold real estate
in Chicago. He was the author of several books
and passed away in 2009.
For those of you who travel, Chris also suggests listing places which have Tuskegee Airman
information on display. She recently read Jimmy
Stewart's biography and learned the 8th Air Force
Museum is in Pooler, a little town just outside of
Savannah, Georgia. It has exhibits dedicated to
the Tuskegee Airmen. Next time she is in the
area, this is a place she would visit. In Los Angeles, near the airport, is the Proud Bird restaurant with a splendid display of the Tuskegee Airmen with a P-51, red tail in all, on display. Hilda
and I took a vacation to Branson, Missouri, and
saw a very nice display of Tuskegee Airmen at
the museum. A visit to the Palm Springs Air Museum is a must to see the very large Tuskegee
Airmen Mural. We have also been to Moton
Field, but before the Park Service renovated it.
You must go there. Right here at home we have
the San Diego Air and Space Museum with a P51 painted in the colors of Tuskegee Airmen
Roscoe Brown’s P-51, and a spotlight on one of
our past chapter presidents, Charles Shockley.
If you are in Louisville, Kentucky, visit the Tuskegee Airmen Exhibit at the Muhammad Ali Center.
Bucholtz, Chris, 332nd Fighter Group—
Tuskegee Airmen , Osprey Publishing
Moye, J. Todd, Freedom Flyers, New York: Oxford University Press
Maurer, M., Combat Squadron of the Air Force,
World War II
Homan, Lynn M. and Thomas Reilly, Black
Knights, The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen,
Pelican Publishing Co.
By Request
Page 12
Battle, Roy, Easier Said. Annapolis: Annapolis Hinton, David. We Kept Them Flying: Private
Printing: Ewing, NJ, Date Unknown.
Publication, 1995.
Cooper, Ann and Charlie Cooper, Tuskegee’s
Holway, John B. Red Tails Black Wings. Las
Heroes. Osceola Motorbooks International pub- Cruces: Yucca Tree Press, 1997.
lishers, 1996.
Homan, Lynn M. and Thomas Reilly. Images of
Craven, Wesley and James L. Cates. The Army America; The Tuskegee Airmen. Charleston:
Air Force in World War II. Washington, DC: Of- Arcadia Publishing, 1998.
fice of Air Force History, 1983.
Jakeman, Robert J. Divided Skies. Tuscaloosa:
Davis, Benjamin O., Jr. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
American, Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institute Press, 1991.
Dryden, Charles W. A—Train: Memoirs of a
Tuskegee Airman. Tuscaloosa: The University
of Alabama Press, 1997.
University of Alabama Press, 1992.
Lee, Ulysses. The Employment of Negro
Troops. Washington, DC: Government Printing
Office, 1966.
Mann, Hiram and Bill Phears, Forever Dreaming:
A History of the General Daniel
Francis, Charles E. The Tuskegee Airmen: The “Chappie” James, Jr. Chapter Tuskegee AirMen Who Changed a Nation, Boston: Branden men, Inc. Cape Canaveral, 1998.
Publishing Co., 1988.
McKissack, Fredrick and Patricia McKissack.
Frisbee, John L., Editor. Makers of the United
States Air Force. Washington, DC: Office of Air
Force History, USAF, 1987.
Red Tail Angels: The Story of the Tuskegee
Airmen of World War II. Markam, Ontario:
Walker Publishing Company, Inc., 1995.
Gropman, Alan, The Air Force Integrates 1945- Nalty, Bernard C. Strength for the Fight: A
1964. Washington, DC: Government Printing Of- History of Black Americans in the Military.
fice, 1951.
New York: The Free Press, 1986.
____________ The Air Force Integrates, 1945- Osur, Alan M. Blacks in the Army Air Forces
1964. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution
During World War II. Washington, DC: U.S.
Press, 1998.
Government Printing Office, 1977.
Hardesty, Von and Dominick Pisano, Black
Wings, Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institute
Press, 1984.
Harris, Jacqueline. The Tuskegee Airmen:
Black Heroes of World Ward II. Parsippany:
Dillon Press, 1996.
Palmer, Walter J. Flying With Eagles. Indianapolis: Nova Graphics, Inc., 1993.
Rose, Robert A., Lonely Eagles. Los Angeles:
Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., 1976.
Astor, Gerald. The Right to Fight, A History of
African Americans in the Military, Presidio
Haskins, Jim, Black Eagles: African Americans Press
in Aviation; pp 74—137, New York, Scholastic
Broadnax, Samuel L, Blue Skies, Black Wings:
Inc., 1995.
African American Pioneers of Aviation
Sandler, Stanley. Segregated Skies: All Black Dalfume, Richard M., Desegregation of the U.S.
Combat Squadron in World War II. Washing- Armed Forces Flying on Two Fronts 1939ton, DC: Smithsonian Institute Press, 1992.
1953, Columbia University of Missouri Press
Scott Lawrence P. and William M. Womack, Freyberg, Elizabeth A. H., Bessie Coleman: The
Sr .Double V : The Civil Rights Struggle of the Brownskin Lady Bird, New York:Harland PubTuskegee Airmen. East Lansing: Michigan State lishing
University Press, 1995.
Lindbergh, R., Nobody Owns the Sky, The
Warren, James C., The Freeman Field Mutiny, Story of Bessie Coleman, Candlewick Press
Conyers Publishing Co
By Request
Page 13
From our April 1999 issue of By Request
THE COAST GUARD CATCHES UP
CAPTAIN JAMES WALKER
BAILED OUT OVER BELGRADE
Alfonso Harris sent in a clipping of Capt James
Walker, now Lt. Col. Walker, retired. Capt.
Walker was east of Belgrade when he bailed out
of his crippled fighter plane during WWII. After
landing he saw a teenager with a pistol in his belt.
The teenager hid Capt. Walker and led him to
partisans. The partisans hid him with the help of
Serbs for 39 days until he was taken to a clearing
and with some other Americans left in a U.S. C46. (See an earlier edition of By Request when
this subject was discussed. The 332nd flew
cover for the C-46s when a lot of downed airmen
were rescued from Yugoslavia.) Capt. Walker
said he was treated better by the partisans in
their homes than he was treated in the United
States at that time.
In 1971 Walker met the
teenager who had emigrated to the US.
Just in time for Black History month, thanks to
Paulette Mello, we learn that Lt. JG La Shanda
Holmes is the first black female helicopter pilot in
U.S. Coast Guard history.
BLACK WOMAN TO LEAD
COMBAT SHIP FOR FIRST TIME
Commander Michelle Howard has become the
first black woman in history to command a
combat vessel. Comdr. Howard commands the
Rushmore and its crew of 19 officers and 250
enlisted men and women. The ship carries
hundreds of Marines, landing craft and
amphibious assault vehicles.
The next in
command is also a woman.
SEARCHING FOR LT. WIGGINS
Bea Wiggins-Ruffin is searching for
information on her uncle a Tuskegee Airmen who
was lost over Italy. She is interested in knowing
which awards he received so that he may be
honored during their family reunion in July.
(Contact bruffin105@aol.com)
AL HARRIS SPEAKS AT
EVA DAWSON COMMUNITY HALL
On February 3, 1999, Al Harris spoke to a
gathering of children and adults on the
accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen. The
meeting was held in the Vista Library where Al
also showed two films on the Tuskegee Airmen.
LEARN ON THE FLY
The Tuskegee Airmen flew different type
planes in combat starting with the P-39, P-40, P47 and then the P-51.
Sometimes when an
organization got new airplanes, there wasn’t time
to stop the war and transition the pilots from one
type plane to another. When the famed 4th
Fighter Group converted from P-47s to P-51s in
February 1944, there was no time to stand down
for an orderly transition. The Group commander,
Col. Donald Blakeslee, said, "You can learn to
fly `51s on the way to the target”. The Tuskegee Airmen had the same training program.
MOTON FIELD
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site,
awarded the 2010 National Trust/ACHP
Award
The Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Site
Restoration Project at Moton Field was one of 23
award winners in the 2010 National Trust Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Award for
Federal Partnerships in Historic Preservation..
The National Trust celebrates the best of
preservation by bestowing the awards upon individuals, nonprofit organizations, public agencies
and corporations whose contributions represent
singular success in preserving, rehabilitating, or
interpreting America’s architectural and cultural
heritage.
The award was presented during the National
Presentation Awards Presentation Ceremony Oct
29, 2010 at the Paramount Theatre in Austin,
Texas.
During the awards ceremony that evening,
Stephanie Meeks, President of the National Trust
for Historical Preservation, said “From the Empire
State Building to the airfield where the Tuskegee
Airmen learned to fly, our 23 innovative, collaborative award winners reflect our country’s deep
commitment to preserving the places that matter.”
The above article, used with permission, is reprinted from the
Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Newsletter, Winter Edition-January 2011
30125 Corte Cantera
Temecula, CA 92591