(CBS DETROIT) – The Tuskegee Airman Nationwide Museum in Detroit has confirmed the loss of life of Lt. Col. Harry S. Stewart Jr., one of many final surviving fighter pilots of that period.
Stewart, who lived in Bloomfield Hills, turned 100 years previous on July 4, 2024. A party in his honor was held on the museum that day.
Lt. Col. Harry S. Stewart Jr (U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs)
A Michigan World Battle II Tuskegee Airman’s journey to soar
The Tuskegee Airmen was the title for the primary all-African American fighter pilot squadron, a scenario that occurred through the Forties when the U.S. army segregated items by race. There have been practically 1,000 serving as pilots, and others in assist roles. The museum shares the historical past and artifacts of that period, whereas encouraging curiosity in aviation and aerospace engineering.
Stewart enlisted at age 18 in what was then often called the Military Air Corps to qualify as a pilot. He accomplished 43 fight missions, and earned three aerial victories in a single day.
The Tuskegee Airmen who nonetheless survived in 2007 have been introduced with a Congressional Gold Medal “in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.”
The U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs featured Stewart in its “America 250” vignette collection in 2022.
