99-year-old Tuskegee Airman reflects on legacy of famed unit ahead of Memorial Day
It was a hero's welcome for Eugene Richardson at the Hilton Garden Inn on the Camden Waterfront Friday morning. Lining a hallway and waving American flags, people cheered and clapped the 99-year-old Tuskegee Airman as he entered a breakfast in his honor.
Richardson, a Camden native, long knew he wanted to fly. He first became infatuated when he saw a stunt-flying show in Ohio as a kid. He told CBS News Philadelphia he and his younger brother would walk from their home on Pine Street to see navy planes taking off near Airport Circle.
"What a thrill, just being that close to an airplane," said Richardson while giving a laugh.
But the odds of Richardson achieving that dream growing up in the 1940s were slim. The United States Military was still segregated as the nation entered World War II, and there was really only one place he could be trained to fly.
So at age 17, Richardson left Camden and headed to Tuskegee.
"It was really an experiment to prove that people of color, 'you don't have it up here,'" said Richardson, pointing to his head. "The color of the skin had nothing to do with what button you pushed, what knob you turned. And the airplane doesn't care."
Richardson remembers the schooling at Tuskegee being tough and competitive. But as the pilots persevered, they began to gain recognition for their skills.
America's first Black pilots became one of the nation's most revered fighting forces. The group, which escorted bombers during the war, had one of the best combat records.
Richardson completed his flight training in March of 1945, months before Germany surrendered in World War II.
"Hitler heard I was coming and he, uh, he did himself in," said Richardson.
In 2007, Richardson and other living Tuskegee Airmen were presented with the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush. On the back of that medal is inscribed "Outstanding Combat Record. Inspired Revolutionary Reform In The Armed Services."
It's that second part that shows the lasting impact of this group. In 1948, then-President Harry Truman desegregated the U.S. military, something Richardson believes had a much broader impact.
"Once segregation in the military was over, then that desegregation ball went rolling around the country, knocking over pins of unfulfilled opportunity," said Richardson. "Had no idea that we'd be affecting history the way we have, but I'm awful proud to be a part of it."
Those who helped honor Richardson on Friday also understand the impact the Tuskegee Airmen have had on their lives.
"I would not be a Lt. Col, I would never have made it through the ranks, without Dr. Eugene Richardson," said Floyd White.
The knowledge of that legacy was strong at Friday's breakfast. But with Richardson set to turn 100 in September, and only three other members of the famed squad still living from our area, White and others know it's up to them to keep the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen front and center.
"We talk about how they executed the missions. And then we talk about how they worked through the complexities of life, segregated society," said White. "But they served, for freedom and democracy in this country. And that's what it's all about."
