Tuskegee Airman who flew 142 WWII combat missions dies at 99

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

World War II pilot Robert Friend was one of the last original members of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen.

Lt. Col. Bob Friend, a Tuskegee Airman, onstage at a benefit concert in Los Angeles in 2013.Paul A. Hebert / AP file

June 23, 2019, 7:39 AM PDT
By Associated Press

LONG BEACH, Calif. — World War II pilot Robert Friend, one of the last original members of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen, has died at the age of 99.

Friend's daughter, Karen Friend Crumlich, told The Desert Sun her father died Friday at a Southern California hospital.

Born in South Carolina on 1920's leap day, Friend flew 142 combat missions in World War II as part of the elite group of fighter pilots trained at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. The program was created after the NAACP began challenging policies barring black people from flying military aircraft.

Friend's 28-year Air Force career included service in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He also worked on space launch vehicles and served as foreign technology program director before retiring as a lieutenant colonel and forming his own aerospace company.
​

Tuskegee Airman who flew 142 WWII combat missions dies at 99

 

[Old Man Grumbles]

Thank you for your service sir. RIP

 

[Asclepias]

World War II pilot Robert Friend was one of the last original members of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen.

Lt. Col. Bob Friend, a Tuskegee Airman, onstage at a benefit concert in Los Angeles in 2013.Paul A. Hebert / AP file

June 23, 2019, 7:39 AM PDT
By Associated Press

LONG BEACH, Calif. — World War II pilot Robert Friend, one of the last original members of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen, has died at the age of 99.

Friend's daughter, Karen Friend Crumlich, told The Desert Sun her father died Friday at a Southern California hospital.

Born in South Carolina on 1920's leap day, Friend flew 142 combat missions in World War II as part of the elite group of fighter pilots trained at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. The program was created after the NAACP began challenging policies barring black people from flying military aircraft.

Friend's 28-year Air Force career included service in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He also worked on space launch vehicles and served as foreign technology program director before retiring as a lieutenant colonel and forming his own aerospace company.
​

Tuskegee Airman who flew 142 WWII combat missions dies at 99

He has now become an ancestor.

 

[williepete]

Blue skies and tailwinds forevermore.

 

[Oddball]

 

[williepete]

I've always found this print touching. It's called "Return of the Red Tails". Four Red Tails escorting home a wounded B-24.
The question hangs behind this painting: Do the B-24 crewmen know who is escorting them out of danger?

 

[Dekster]

Had a great chat about a year ago with a woman whose uncle was one of the Tuskegee Airmen. They donated his stuff to the new African-American History & Culture Museum in DC. She said the last thing on her bucket list before she died was to go to DC to see her uncle honored in a museum. She said the greatest gift anybody gave her was him instilling in her a sense that other other people's racism was no excuse for her not always fighting to be a better person and not building for herself the life she wanted to have.

 

[williepete]

"Red-Tail Angels" by John Shaw.
Protecting the bombers.

 

[rightwinger]

An American hero

Sad to see the WWII vets die off

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

World War II pilot Robert Friend was one of the last original members of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen.

Lt. Col. Bob Friend, a Tuskegee Airman, onstage at a benefit concert in Los Angeles in 2013.Paul A. Hebert / AP file

June 23, 2019, 7:39 AM PDT
By Associated Press

LONG BEACH, Calif. — World War II pilot Robert Friend, one of the last original members of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen, has died at the age of 99.

Friend's daughter, Karen Friend Crumlich, told The Desert Sun her father died Friday at a Southern California hospital.

Born in South Carolina on 1920's leap day, Friend flew 142 combat missions in World War II as part of the elite group of fighter pilots trained at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. The program was created after the NAACP began challenging policies barring black people from flying military aircraft.

Friend's 28-year Air Force career included service in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He also worked on space launch vehicles and served as foreign technology program director before retiring as a lieutenant colonel and forming his own aerospace company.
​

Tuskegee Airman who flew 142 WWII combat missions dies at 99

It is a shame that the President of the US back then would keep the military segregated when these fine Airmen would fight for the US as any other red blooded American. FDR was a typical liberal, who hated blacks as much as any KKK member would.

How FDR Promoted Racial Segregation – The Future of Freedom Foundation

 

[Pilot1]

I've always found this print touching. It's called "Return of the Red Tails". Four Red Tails escorting home a wounded B-24.
The question hangs behind this painting: Do the B-24 crewmen know who is escorting them out of danger?

Excellent artwork showing the transition from the P-51C on the left with the newer, P51-D on the right.

I had the honor of meeting a few Tuskegee Airmen at a fly-in about twenty years ago. It is sad to see them go.

 

[Pilot1]

A "Red Tail" lighting up an ME-262. Probably near an airfield on approach as the ME-262 was over 100 MPH faster than the P-51D.

 

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

I've always found this print touching. It's called "Return of the Red Tails". Four Red Tails escorting home a wounded B-24.
The question hangs behind this painting: Do the B-24 crewmen know who is escorting them out of danger?

There have long been rumours that even the HBO movie touched on, that one of the white pilots had determined that he wanted to thank and shake the hand of the man who had saved him during one of their encounters, but that upon the discovery that the pilot was a black man, he refused to accept the handshake. This certainly is in line with the way they were treated upon their return to the United States only to face the same discrimination as when they left to become war heros.

Thanks for sharing this photo.

 

[Superbadbrutha]

It was talked about in another thread the disgraceful way black men were treated when they returned from the war.

 

[Pilot1]

It was talked about in another thread the disgraceful way black men were treated when they returned from the war.

True and a disgrace, but we've moved beyond that haven't we. Now Blacks serve proudly and equally in our armed forces and have so since 1947. But, go ahead keep dwelling on the distant past. Yeah, that will help.

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

It was talked about in another thread the disgraceful way black men were treated when they returned from the war.

You can thank a Democrat for that. All during reconstruction up to now, the Southern White Democrats(KKK) have wanted not only to hang blacks but the white republicans along side them. Just look at the Democrat Bernie Supporter who shot up the Republican Congressmen. Nothing has changed except the year.

 

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

It was talked about in another thread the disgraceful way black men were treated when they returned from the war.

Well I know there was an incident where they were refused entry into an officer's club due to their race, and some of them I believe ended up with a criminal record due to the police being called on them when they attempted entry.

It was also reported that the German prisoners of war were treated better than they were simply due to them being white.

 

[Asclepias]

It was talked about in another thread the disgraceful way black men were treated when they returned from the war.

True and disgrace, but we've moved beyond that haven't we. Now Blacks serve proudly and equally in our armed forces and have so since 1947. But, go ahead keep dwelling on the distant past. Yeah, that will help.

No we havent moved beyond that. There is still racism in the military. Its a haven for white militants seeking training in some race war they want but really dont want.

 

[williepete]

Probably near an airfield on approach

Yep. That's how we got them. They had to land sometime and the Mustang could wait at their home fields.

 

[williepete]

No we havent moved beyond that. There is still racism in the military. Its a haven for white militants seeking training in some race war they want but really dont want.

Complete an utter HORSESHIT.

This is a thread about a departed hero. Don't disgrace it with your lies. I served from the 70's to the 90's and still associate with active duty personnel.

You insult every active duty person and veteran with that slur. You owe an apology to the OP for derailing his fine thread with your racist BS. Shame.