Dr. Fenton Sands
Defying expectations is a hallmark of the Tuskegee Airmen. It may seem unusual that a kid from the urban metropolis of New York City would
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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.
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Harvey F. Sanford
Harvey F. Sanford 1926-2016 Unit: 385th Army Air Force Base Unit Harvey was born on Hammond Street in Boston’s South End in 1926 to Oswald
James Sheppard
In recent months we explored the importance of the Tuskegee Airmen support personnel in our blog, and even took a closer look at women in
Earl Sherard
Earl Sylvester Sherard, Jr. February 15, 1924 – July 1, 1983 Class: 43 J-SE Graduation Date: 11/3/1943 Unit: Service # 0814837 Earl Sherard was born in Columbus, Ohio
James Shipley
James Lloyd Shipley June 28, 1923 – July 21 2022 SO 338 20 Dec 43 Selfridge Unit: Mechanic with the 332nd fighter group He was proud
David Showell
David Anthony Showell October 14, 1921-December 23, 1955 Unit: 617th Bombardment Squadron of the 477th Bombardment Group David Showell, one of seven children, was born on October
Wilmeth Sidat-Singh
Lt. Wilmeth Sidat-Singh March 13, 1918 – May 10, 1943 Class 42-C-SE Graduation Date: March 25, 1943 Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 100th Fighter Squadron Service
Rudolf Silas
July 11, 1946 – March 2021 Rudolf Silas was born in Lehigh, Oklahoma and joined the Army Air Corps on July 11, 1946. After basic
Alphonso Simmons
1st Lt Alphonso Simmons March 25, 1919 – March 3, 1945 Class: 43-I-SE Graduation Date: October 1, 1943 Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 100th Fighter Squadron
Luther Smith
Character. What we do with what we’ve been given. What we do in the face of adversity. What we do when times are good, and
Captain Graham Smith and brother Flight Officer Reginald Vinson Smith
Captain Graham Smith Born: 4/19/1919 Ahoskie, North Carolina Died: 4/30/1951 North Korea Class: 42-F-SE Awards: Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart,
Eugene D. Smith
Red Tail / Angel Combat Pilot “I guess I’ve never been accepted by anybody. My birth certificate makes me too black for white people; and
Quentin P. Smith
Quentin P. Smith 1919 – January 15, 2013 Class: 45-A-TE Graduation Date: 3/11/1945 Unit: 477th Bombardier Group Service # 0841274 They flew 1,578 missions
Luther H. Smith
Captain Luther Henry Smith September 27, 1920 – December 9, 2009 Class: 43-E-SE Unit: 302nd Fighter Squadron Character. What we do with what we’ve been
Calvin J. Spann
Calvin J. Spann November 28, 1924 – September 6, 2015 Class: 44-G-SE Graduation Date: 8/4/1944 Service # T64642 Calvin J. Spann was an original Tuskegee
Joseph W. Sparks
Joseph W. SparksUnit: 617th Bombardment Squadron of the 477th Composite Group This text is taken from the Honorable Discharge document sent to us from Joseph W.
Leon ‘Woodie’ Spears
2Lt Leon ‘Woodie’ Spears Class 44-F-SE January 15, 1924 – May 12, 2008 Unit 301st Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. Leon ‘Woodie” Spears was born
Ruth Speight
Tuskegee Airman Nurse Ruth Speight You will also find 2LT Ruth Speight in the 1942 yearbook. She was a surgical nurse at Tuskegee Army Air
Chauncey Spencer, Sr.
Chauncey Spencer, Sr. November 5, 1906 – August 21, 2002 ” I’m no paragon of virtue; I’ve lived like other men. But I know what
John W. Squires
Flt Officer John Wilburn Squires February 26, 1925 – June 28, 1945 Class: 44-H-SE Graduation Date: September 8, 1944 Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 100th Fighter
Arnett W. Starks Jr.
Arnett Wayman Starks Jr. December 1, 1919 – April 1, 1946 Class: 44-E-SE Graduation Date: 5/23/1944 Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 100th Fighter Squadron Service #
Charles W. Stephens, Jr.
Thank you to Juanita Stephens for sharing this information with us. Her husband, Alvin, was the brother of Charles. The article was written by Brooke
Dudley W. Stevenson
Col Dudley Wardell Stevenson May 11, 1918 – October 5, 1982 99th Fighter Squadron communications officer Dudley Stevenson was a pre-Pearl Harbor enlistee into the U.
Lowell C. Steward
2nd Lt Lowell C. Steward February 25, 1919 – December 17, 2014 Class: 43-G-SE Graduation Date: 7/28/1943 Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 100th Fighter Squadron Service
Harry T. Stewart Jr
Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr. July 4, 1924 Class: 44-F-SE Graduation Date: 6/27/1944 Unit: 301st Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Service # 0835330
Roosevelt Stiger
2nd Lt Roosevelt Stiger March 24, 1919 – October 7, 1944 Class 44-C-SE Graduation Date: March 12, 1944 Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 302nd Fighter Control
Norvell Stoudmire
2nd Lt Norvell Stoudmire January 1, 1921- March 31, 1944 Class: 43-H-SE Graduation Date: August 30, 1943 Graduation Rank: Second Lieutenant Unit: 332nd Fighter Group,
Thomas C. Street
2nd LT Thomas Calvin Street October 17, 1924- February 11, 1945 Class: 44-G-SE Graduation Date: August 4, 1944 Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 99th Fighter Squadron
John J. Suggs
John J. Suggs October 8, 1915 – October 10, 2013 Class: 43-E-SE Graduation date: 5/28/1943 Rank at time of graduation: 2nd Lt. Unit: 302nd Fighter
Donald Summerlin
Chief Master Sgt. Donald Summerlin January 29, 1943 – March 23, 2019 Aircraft engine mechanic and flight engineer “The Department of War said that we
Percy Ellis Sutton
Percy Ellis Sutton November 24, 1920 – December 26, 2009 Percy Sutton became one of America’s best-known lawyers in the 1950s and ’60s, representing controversial
Charles W. Tate
Charles W. Tate October 18, 1922 – November 18, 2005 Class: 43-H-SE Graduation Date: 8/30/1943 Unit: 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group Service
Elmer W. Taylor
2nd Lt Elmer Walker Taylor March 27, 1918 – June 2, 1944 Class: 43-G-SE Graduation Date: July 28, 1943 Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 302nd Fighter
Welton Taylor
Welton Taylor November 12, 1919 – November 1, 2012 In a fascinating interview with the Library of Congress as part of the Veterans History Project,
Alva Temple
Alva Temple September 5, 1917 – August 28, 2004 Class 43-G-SE Graduation Date: 7/28/1943 Service # 0809256 Carrollton, A Alva Temple was born in Carrollton,
Victor W. Terrelonge
Victor W. Terrelonge 1923 – 2011 Victor Terrelonge was born in St Andrew, but grew up in Morant Bay, at his grandparents’ home. He migrated
Roger Cecil Terry
Roger Cecil Terry August 13, 1921 – June 11, 2009 Class: 44-K-TE 2/1/1945 2nd Lt. 0841165 Los Angeles, CA Unit: 477th Bombardment Group Pilot roster
Lucius Theus
MG Lucius Theus October 11, 1922 – October 15, 2007 Major General Lucius Theus was the first African-American combat support officer to be promoted General
Levi Thornhill
Major Levi Thornhill September 12, 1922 – September 10, 2020 “Give them (youth) motivation, if the mind is excited about something, it explores it more.”
Richard E. Thorpe
2nd Lt Richard E. Thorpe September 30, 1924 – April 6, 1945 Class: 44-I-1-SE Graduation Date: 10/16/1944 Unit: Service # O838163 Richard Thorpe was assigned