Harry Stewart grew up with a love of flying and dreamed of becoming an airline pilot one day. But shortly after graduating high school, with the nation at war, Stewart found himself in in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
The military needed skilled pilots but would not let black and white personnel train or serve together. Stewart was sent to Tuskegee, Alabama, where he and other black pilots and crew members prepared to serve as fighter pilot escorts for American bombers over Europe.
In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Col. Stewart describes the training, his first experience in air combat, and the day he was credited with shooting down three German planes. He also shares the painful story of his wingman who was shot down over Europe.
Stewart also takes us into the historic performance of his team at the Air Force's Top Gun-style competition in 1949, the racism he faced in returning to civilian life, and the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen in transforming American society.
Col. Stewart died on February 2, 2025, at the age of 100. This interview was conducted at the 2018 American Veterans Center conference.