Civil Rights
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
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Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
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Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Willie Ashley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Willie Lee Ashley Jr. May 23, 1921 |
| Died | February 9, 1984 (aged 62) Washington, D.C., US |
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Education | University of Omaha, Catholic University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1942–1981 |
Willie Lee Ashley Jr. (May 23, 1921 – February 9, 1984) was a U.S. Army Air Force officer and combat fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen.[1][2]
Ashley was the first African American U.S. military pilot to engage in aerial combat against an enemy combatant, sharing this honor with 99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks, Charles Dryden (Tuskegee Airman), Lee Rayford, Leon C. Roberts and Spann Watson who all engaged against enemy German fighter aircraft on June 9, 1943.[3]
Ashley was born on May 23, 1921, in Crocketville, South Carolina, in Hampton County.[4] After graduating from Morris College High School, Ashley attended Hampton Institute, now Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.[5] While at Hampton, Ashley enrolled with the Civil Air Patrol's Civilian Pilot Training Program, earning his pilot's license.[6]
The U.S. Army Air Corps admitted Ashley to its Advanced Flight School at Tuskegee Air Force Field. On July 3, 1942, Ashley graduated as a member of the Single Engine Section Cadet Class SE-42-F, receiving his wings and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.[7][8]
During World War II, Ashley flew 77 combat missions over a 14-month period, including missions in North Africa, Sicily, and France. Though he was credited with two kills, the U.S. Army Air Corps did not credit Ashley for a third kill allegedly based on material provided by Shaw Air Force Base.[9]
On June 9, 1943, Ashley and fellow 99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks, Charles Dryden, Lee Rayford, Leon Roberts and Spann Watson became the first African American fighter pilots in history to engage in aerial combat.[10][11]
After World War II, Ashley returned to the United States and continued his military service as a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve. In 1981, he retired from the military with the rank of Lt Colonel.
Ashley earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Omaha and a master's degree in parasitology from Catholic University. He also earned a PhD in radiation biology from Catholic University.
On March 1, 1947, Ashley was initiated as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Alpha Eta chapter at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.[12]
Ashley worked for the Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency where he retired as an administrator in 1976. He also served as a professor at Howard University, retiring in 1983 after experiencing serious health issues.
On February 9, 1984, Ashley died at the Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 65, Site 3622, in Arlington, Virginia.[13]
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Willie Lee Ashley Jr. (May 23, 1921 – February 9, 1984) was a U.S. Army Air Force officer and combat fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Ashley was the first African American U.S. military pilot to engage in aerial combat against an enemy combatant, sharing this honor with 99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks, Charles Dryden (Tuskegee Airman), Lee Rayford, Leon C. Roberts and Spann Watson who all engaged against enemy German fighter aircraft on June 9, 1943.
William Ashley, Bill Ashley or Will Ashley may refer to: William Ashley (economic historian) (1860–1927), English economic historian Bill Ashley (politician) (1881–1958), Australian politician William H. Ashley (1778–1838), American fur trader, entrepreneur, and politician Gobo Ashley (William Hare Ashley; 1862–1930), South African cricketer Billy Ashley (born 1970), American baseball player Will Ashley (actor) (Will Ashley de Leon; born 2002), Filipino actor Willie Ashley (1921–1984), U.S. Army Air Force officer and Tuskegee Airman
Charles Walter Dryden (September 16, 1920 – June 24, 2008) was a U.S. Army Air Force officer and one of the original combat fighter pilots with the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, a component of the Tuskegee Airmen. Among the United States' first eight African American combat fighter pilots, Dryden is notable as a member of the Tuskegee Advance Flying School (TAFS)'s Class Number SE-42-C, the program's 2nd-ever aviation cadet program. Dryden was one of the first African American U.S. military pilots to engage in aerial combat against an enemy combatant, sharing this honor with 99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks, Willie Ashley, Lee Rayford, Leon C. Roberts and Spann Watson. He is the author of the autobiography, A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman.
Spann Watson (August 14, 1916 – April 15, 2010) was an American military aviator and civil servant who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He flew over 30 missions in North Africa, Italy and Southern Europe. In March 2007, Watson attended a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, where he and other surviving veterans of the Tuskegee Airmen (and their widows) were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service. He died on April 15, 2010, aged 93. Watson was among the first African American U.S. military pilots to engage in aerial combat against an enemy combatant, sharing this achievement with 99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks, Charles W. Dryden, Leon C. Roberts, Lee Rayford and Willie Ashley.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.
