World War II pilot Harry Stewart Jr., a Tuskegee Airman, has died
Stewart, who lived in Bloomfield Hills, turned 100 years old on July 4, 2024. A birthday party in his honor was held at the museum that day.
The Tuskegee Airmen was the name for the first all-African American fighter pilot squadron, a situation that happened during the 1940s when the U.S. military segregated units by race. There were nearly 1,000 serving as pilots, and others in support roles. The museum shares the history and artifacts of that era, while encouraging interest in aviation and aerospace engineering.
Stewart enlisted at age 18 in what was then known as the Army Air Corps to qualify as a pilot. He completed 43 combat missions, and earned three aerial victories in a single day.
The Tuskegee Airmen who still survived in 2007 were presented with a Congressional Gold Medal "in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces."
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs featured Stewart in its "America 250" vignette series in 2022.
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