One of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen passed away at the age of 100 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on Sunday.
The Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum confirmed the death of Retired Lieutenant Colonel Harry Stewart Jr. to the Associated Press.
Stewart was a part of the first group of Black U.S. military pilots, the 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen. He and his fellow airmen used their skills in the sky to combat Nazi Germany during World War II. This group's successes were recognized in 2006 when they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
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In order to celebrate Stewart's life, let's look at how a boy born in Hampton Roads captured historic attention with his remarkable career in the U.S. Air Force.
Stewart was born in Newport News, on July 4, 1924. Throughout his adolescence, he was never far from soaring planes. His family lived close to Langley Field during their time in Virginia. And at two years old, Stewart's family moved north to live near LaGuardia Airport in New York.
When Stewart turned 18 years old, he volunteered for the United States Army Air Forces. He passed his entrance exams (with flying colors), and was sent to the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama in April 1943 to begin flight training.
Before the Tuskegee Airmen, Black Americans that aspired to become pilots were routinely denied. However, with the growing impact of World War II and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's insistence, the first African American fighter squadron was established in 1941, giving Stewart the opportunity to earn his wings.
A total of 992 Black pilots were trained as Tuskegee Airmen, with an estimated 355 deployed to fight in combat.
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Stewart and the other Tuskegee Airmen served in Nazi-occupied Europe, protecting B-24 bombers from enemy fire. Stewart was one of four Tuskegee Airmen to shoot down three German aircraft during a single day of combat. This show of skill earned Stewart the Distinguished Flying Cross.
The end of World War II did not keep Stewart on the ground. He would later participate in the Tuskegee Airmen's victorious Top Gun team in 1949. However, the official results of this year's competition were not revealed for nearly 46 years.
In Jan. 1950, Stewart left active duty and attended New York University through the GI Bill. Stewart graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, but decided to remain in the Air Force Reserve as an instructor and test pilot until officially retiring in the 1960s.
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Regarding his personal life, Stewart married Delphine Stewart, the sister of a fellow Tuskegee Airman. Delphine passed away at the age of 89 in 2015. The couple had one daughter, Lori Collette Stewart, who has survived both of her parents.
Stewart refused to let history overlook the impact of the Tuskegee Airmen. He continued to advocate and educate Americans about the lasting impact of his fighter group.
This led to the Tuskegee Airman eventually being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2006. And only six years ago, Stewart and Philip Handleman co-authored Soaring to Glory: A Tuskegee Airman's Firsthand Account of World War II.
