In addition to Pearl Harbor Day...

[Baldeagle]

… December 7 also marked the 99th birthday of Col. Charles McGee of the Tuskegee Airmen. I was pleased to see that both the local NBC station and the Washington Post marked the occasion:

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/loca ... 20881.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/ ... 7c7ba28618

For those not familiar with Col. McGee, who flew over 400 combat missions between WW2, Korea, and Vietnam:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_McGee_(pilot)

I had the privilege of meeting Col. McGee several times over the years, and his strength of character is immediately evident. Clearly a person that America can be grateful for and proud of.



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[Sasquatch]

Wow, 99 and seemingly still sharp as a tack. What an amazing guy!

I wanna be like him when I grow up!

-Tom

[JohnB]

When I was a kid n the mid-60s, McGee was assigned to our base as, IIRC, a Colonel.
My brother was good friends with his son...who is now a retired airline pilot.
My brother told me about McGee's service as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. It was a great...and close to home...lesson in civil rights.

My brother gave or sold his son a huge 4' plus balsa kit of a Piper Tri-Pacer...he did a beautiful job building it, down to a great interior and curtains. I can't recall if it was control line or RC, probably control line as radios were pricy then.

Looking back it was a neat time.
The father of my best friend was a Doolittle Raider who lived two doors down.
At our next base, Bernie Fisher was one of the squadron pilots and Dean Hess was a chaplain.

No one thought much about it, everyone over the rank of Captain was a WWII vet, and many would earn honors in Vietnam. I

Our neighbor across the street didn't have a son, so he's take me horseback riding at the base stable, or my favorite..let me drive his beloved surplus M38A1 Jeep on the back roads out by the ammo dump. He would soon earn a silver star in Vietnam flying RF-101s, and end up being a F-111 wing commander.

These men me something to shoot for and I like to think knowing their stories (even if I don't know them personally) made me a better officer during my own career.

God bless them all...

[Jeremy S]

I had the privilege of meeting Col. McGee at Oshkosh last year. It was easily one of the best experiences of my week! I chatted Col. McGee and Col. Hardy for some time about their experiences and flying careers. They are two incredibly outgoing and kind men who love to share their stories. I'm currently reading his biography.

Happy Birthday Col. McGee!

[Baldeagle]

And now 100 years old:
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/loca ... 686244b02e



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