Charles Alfred Anderson, Sr.
February 9, 1907 – April 13, 1996 Charles Alfred Anderson, Sr., was an American aviator who is known as the Father of Black Aviation. He
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Take a closer look at the lives and accomplishments of some of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. New profiles are added regularly and will grow as the staff and volunteer of the CAF Red Tail Squadron continue their tireless efforts to research and share the remarkable stories of these important American figures.
*NOTE: The term “Tuskegee Airmen” is not an official USAF definition, but was invented by Charles Francis when he wrote his 1955 book with that title, the USAF does not define the term, and does not determine who is or is not a Tuskegee Airman.
Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated (TAI) defines a Tuskegee Airman as anyone involved in the Tuskegee Airmen experience, who belonged to their units or who were assigned to the installations where their units were assigned, whether those personnel were black or white, male or female. By the TAI definition, the nurses at Tuskegee Army Air Field would be both Tuskegee nurses and Tuskegee Airmen who happened to be nurses.
Willie Ashley, Jr.
Class Number: 42-F-SE Graduation Date: 7/3/1942 Rank Held at Tuskegee: 2nd Lt. Serial Number: 0789641 Hometown: Sumter, South Carolina May 23, 1921 – February 9, 1984 Ashley graduated from Morris College
John H. Adams Jr.
Class 45-B-SE 4/15/1945 2nd Lt. 0842588 Kansas City, KS 1920 – DOD Unit: 332nd Fighter Group In 2016 John Adams Jr., then 97 years old,
Charity Adams Earley
First black officer of the Women Army Auxiliary Corps Charity Adams Earley (1918–2002) was the first African-American woman to be an officer in the Women’s Army
Paul Adams
Class 43-D-SE 4/29/1943 2nd Lt. 0801160 Greenville, SC August 10, 1920 – July 8, 2013 Unit: 302nd Fighter Squadron,332nd Fighter Group Born in Greenville, S.C.,
Rutherford H. Adkins
Class 44-I-1-SE 10/16/1944 2nd Lt. 0838152 Alexandria, VA November 21, 1924– February 6,1998 Unit: 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Affectionately known as
Harvey Reginald Alexander
Class 44-D-TE 4/15/1944 2nd Lt. 0828041 Georgetown, IL April 13, 1921 – August 16, 2013 Unit: 617th Squadron, 477th Bombardment Group Medium “We had to
Halbert Leo Alexander
Class 44-I-SE 11/20/1944 2nd Lt. 0839082 Georgetown, IL Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron June 12 1922 – March 25, 1953 First Lieutenant Halbert Alexander was assigned
William Noel Alsbrook
Class 43-I-SE 10/1/1943 2nd Lt. 0814188 Kansas City, KS January 31, 1916-January 5, 1998 Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron Virtual Museum posting of flight jacket worn
Fred Archer
July 20, 1921 – September 1988 Fred Archer was the first Black person to earn the rank of Chief Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air
Lee Andrew Archer, Jr.
Class 43-G-SE 7/28/1943 2nd Lt. 0809236 New York, NY Unit: 302nd Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group September 6, 1919 – January 27, 2010 Tuskegee Airmen
William P. Armstrong
Class 44-H-SE 9/8/1944 Flt. Officer T66139 Providence, RI Oct. 30, 1924 – April 1, 1945 Unit: 301st Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Virtual
Robert Ashby
Class 45-H-TE 11/20/1945 2nd Lt. 0843351 Jersey City, NJ Born July 17, 1926 Unit: Trained to fly B-25 bomber as part of 477th Bombardment Group
Ludovic F. Audant
Class 44-B-SE 2/8/1944 Port au Prince Haiti Unit: 301st Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group October 12, 1911 – September 23, 1974 Virtual Museum
Charles Phillip Bailey, Sr.
Class 43-D-SE 4/29/1943 2nd Lt. 0801161 Punta Corda, FLNovember 25, 1918 – April 1, 2001Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter GroupAwards: Air Medal
Terry C. Bailey
Flight Officer Class 45-C-SE 5/23/1945 Flt. Officer T69972 Richmond, VA November 1, 1925 – October 4, 2019 Before 1940, Black people were barred from flying
Gentry Eugene Barnes
Class 44-D-SE 4/15/1944 2nd Lt. 0828045 Lawrenceville, IL Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Virtual Museum post of 1942 Gentry Eugene Barnes
Della J. Bassette
Mencie Trotter, Class of 1940 and future instructor at the school, Louise Lomax, Class of 1942, and Della Bassette, Class of 1941, were three of
Howard Lee Baugh
Class 42-J-SE 11/10/1942 2nd Lt. 0793705 Petersburg, VA January 20, 1920 – August 23, 2008 Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Like
Naomi Bernice Bell
Naomi Bernice Bell was born September 27, 1921 in Sandersville, Georgia. She was the daughter of Arthur and Mamie Hayles Bell. She was in the
Henry “Hank” Bowman
A Tuskegee Airman who broke the referee color barrier April 14, 1921 – September 16, 1995 Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Hank moved with his
James Everett Bowman
Class 44-K-SE 2/1/1945 Flt. Officer T68699 Des Moines, IA1922– January 13, 2014 Dr. James Bowman graduated from North High school in Des Moines in 1940.
George Mills Boyd
June 23, 1926 – June 21, 2018 Born in Teaneck, NJ, and passed away in Wichita, KS “We didn’t even know what a Tuskegee Airman
Fred L. Brewer Jr.
Class 44-C -SE 3/12/1944 2nd Lt. O824827 Charlotte, SC August 1921 – October 29, 1944 Unit: 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Virtual
Octavia M. Bridgewater
Octavia M. Bridgewater was one of Montana’s native daughters. One of the Tuskegee Army Nurses mentioned her as one of the older nurses. She was
Clifton Eugene Brooks Sr.
Visiting with West Virginia’s last living Tuskegee Airman You can trust a secret to Clifton E. Brooks Sr. Information that Clifton decoded back in the
Dr. Harold H. Brown
Class 44-E-SE 5/23/1944 2nd Lt. 0830783 Minneapolis, MNBorn August 19, 1924Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Harold Brown knew in the 6th grade
Alfred Quaisse Carroll, Jr.
April 4, 1920 – August 4, 1969 Class 43-J-SE 11/3/1943 2nd Lt. 0814827 Washington DC Unit: 301st Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group Virtual Museum –
Herbert Eugene Carter
September 27, 1919 – November 8, 2012 Class 42-F-SE 7/3/1942 2nd Lt. 0790454 Amory, MS Unit: 99th Pursuit Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Academic
Mildred L. Hemmons-Carter
September 14, 1921- October 21, 2011 Mildred was born on Sept. 14, 1921 in Benson, AL to industrious and successful parents. Her mother, Mamie Hemmons,
George E. Cisco
Class 44-E-SE 5/23/1944 2nd Lt. 01014831 Alton, IL June 2, 1918 – August 16, 1944 Among the family and friends laid to rest in the Alton,
Arnold W. Cisco
Class 43-D-SE 4/29/1943 2nd Lt. 0801164 Alton, IL Aug. 10, 1920 – May 19, 1946 Unit: 99th Pursuit Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Among
James A. Cotten
Special Order 159 29 Jun 49 Lockbourne1927 – August 14, 2020 “I learned about respect. Regardless of what color you are, whether you’re male or
Milton Pitts Crenchaw
January 13, 1919 – November 17, 2015 Dr. Milton Pitts Crenchaw was known as the father of Black Aviation in Arkansas. Born on January 13,
Charles Madison Crenchaw
African-American mountaineer and veteran flight engineer September 11, 1921 – October 27, 1998 On July 9, 1964, Charles Crenchaw became the first African-American to summit
Clarence W. Dart
Class 43-J-SE 11/3/1943 2nd Lt. 0814826 Elmira, NY December 6, 1920 – February 17, 2012 Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Awards:
Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
Class 42-C-SE 3/6/1942 Capt. 020146 Tuskegee, ALDecember 18, 1912 – July 4, 2002Unit: 99th Pursuit Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group On December 18, 1912 Benjamin
Charles Henry DeBow, Jr.
Feb 13, 1918 – April 4, 1968 Class: 42-C-SE 3/6/1942 2nd Lt. 0441130 Indianapolis, IN Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. DeBow
Robert W. Deiz
Class 42-H-SE 9/6/1942 2nd Lt. 0792419 Portland, OR June 17, 1919 – April 6, 1992 Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Pilot
Lawrence E. Dickson
Class 43-C-SE 3/25/1943 2nd Lt. 0798945 Bronx, NY 1920 – Dec. 23, 1944 Unit: 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group 2nd Lieutenant Lawrence