95-Year-Old Tuskegee Airman Visits ISD Students

Entering Truman High School’s lecture hall to thunderous applause, 95-year-old retired Air Force Col. Charles McGee recalled a time when he wasn’t so welcome. McGee is one of the few surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American military aviators in the United States. He read from an Army document dated October 30, 1925 titled Use of Negro Manpower in War. “The Negro is physically qualified for combat duty,” he said, “but by his nature subservient and believes himself to be inferior to the white man.” Soon, he said, that mentality began to change and by the time World War II began, the call to establish a black squadron grew. First known as the 332nd Fighter Group, the Tuskegee Airmen were born and McGee joined them in October 1942.

During his distinguished 30 year military career spanning World War II, Korea and Vietnam, he earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal 25 times. McGee holds the Air Force record for most three-war fighter combat missions flown with 409 and in 2007 received the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian award. He took questions from students and encouraged them to use their education today to shape their world tomorrow.

“You are America’s future,” he told them. “What happens 15 years from now will say a lot about what you have done.”

McGee is a member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame and served as a consultant to noted filmmaker George Lucas on the movie Red Tails. He lives in the Kansas City area and speaks to high school students across the area about the importance of education.

“This was a great opportunity for our students to learn about and from a great American hero,” said retired Army 1st Sgt. Allen Roberson, JROTC instructor at Van Horn High School. McGee spoke to students at all three ISD high schools.