Interview with WWII Veteran Harry Stewart Jr. скачать в хорошем качестве

Interview with WWII Veteran Harry Stewart Jr.

Harry Stewart Jr. is a retired United States Army Air Forces officer and a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient who served in the 332nd Fighter Group. Harry shot down three German aircraft in a single day during World War II making him one of the few to achieve such a feat. He was also part of the team that won the United States Air Force's first "Top Gun" competition in 1949 and is one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen. Update Friends of the National World War II Memorial is saddened to learn of the passing of WWII Tuskegee Airman Lieutenant Colonel Harry S. Stewart Jr. who died on February 2, 2025 at the age of 100 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Stewart was born in Newport News, Virginia on July 4, 1924. At 18, Stewart volunteered for the United States Army Air Forces, taking and passing the Pilot Cadet exam. On June 27, 1944, he completed cadet pilot training, earning his wings and graduating with the Tuskegee Airmen Class 44-F-SE. Remarkably, Stewart learned to fly before he learned to drive. Following combat and fighter training at Walterboro Army Air Field in SC, Stewart was assigned to the 15th Air Force in Italy with the 332nd Fighter Group’s 302nd Fighter Squadron. After the disbandment of the 302nd Fighter Squadron on March 6, 1945, he was transferred to the 301st Fighter Squadron for the remainder of the war. During training, Stewart faced an unexpected mock dogfight challenge from a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP), which he lost. Stewart is renowned for shooting down three German aircraft in one day during WWII, making him one of only four Tuskegee Airmen to achieve such a feat. He was also a member of the all-African American 332nd Fighter Group Weapons pilot team that won the United States Air Force’s inaugural “Top Gun” team competition in 1949. The 1949 “Top Gun” competition was a grueling 10-day event featuring aerial gunnery at different altitudes, dive bombing, skip bombing, rocket firing, and panel strafing. Stewart’s team led from start to finish, flying the obsolete F-47Ns against more advanced aircraft. Despite their victory, the results were kept from the Air Force archives until 1995. Stewart’s teammate, James H. Harvey, remarked, “They knew who won, but did not want to recognize us.” In 2006, the Tuskegee Airmen were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service and bravery. Stewart’s military career is filled with notable moments. After flying 43 bomber escort missions during WWII, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down three enemy aircraft on Easter Sunday, 1945. He continued his service during the Korean War and later in the Air Force Reserve, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. After WWII, Stewart worked as a baggage handler and pursued a career in aviation, facing racial discrimination along the way. He later earned a degree in mechanical engineering from New York University and became Vice President of ANR Pipeline Company in Detroit, Michigan. In 2019, Stewart co-authored “Soaring to Glory: A Tuskegee Airman’s Firsthand Account of World War II” with Philip Handleman. Stewart was married to Delphine Alice Friend Stewart, until her passing in 2015. They had one daughter, Lori Collette Stewart. Rest in Peace, Sir! We thank you for your service!