John Flanagan, Jr.
1923 – 2019
Sgt. Flanagan joined the United States Army as a teenager, and first served as a communications technician as part of the support crew of the 99th Squadron. He fought in the Pacific Theater then enrolled in flight school at Tuskegee Institute – the home of the Tuskegee Airmen.
In 2007, Flanagan and 300 other Tuskegee Airmen received bronze replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush.
“I found out in a short period in my life that the country loved me as well as I loved it,” Flanagan said.
A man dedicated to freedom, family and faith; he went on to break barriers in real estate as an appraiser. Flanagan was a founding member of Berea Baptist Church. He’s outlived his two sons and is survived by his grandchildren today.
“It allowed for a lot of us to do a lot of things we’re doing now,” said grandson, Terrance Flanagan, who also served his country, in the Marines. He said his grandfather had a motto: “If you push yourself and you set your mind to it, you can achieve it.”
