(ConservativeHub.com) – The new year has been rough so far, as the public has already lost several major public figures. Now, yet another noteworthy American figure has passed away.
General Charles McGee died on January 16 at the age of 102. McGee was a military pilot who was part of the Tuskegee Airmen. He flew combat missions in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The general died peacefully at home, according to his family.
McGee entered the army in 1942 when he was 23 years old. He was one of the first black airmen to join and one of the only pilots to fly in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Charles McGee, a Tuskegee Airman who flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars, has died at 102. McGee was among more than 900 men to train in rural Alabama from 1940 to 1946 after the Army Air Corps was forced to admit Black pilots. https://t.co/GnKLCjpWj8
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 17, 2022
During an interview in 1995, the general talked about how his journey was not only about foreign wars but also the struggle for equality. He said he and his fellow African American airmen had to prove they were just as good as their white counterparts.
Upon turning 100, the US Army bestowed an honorary promotion to McGee of a one-star rank of brigadier general. During his 2020 State of the Union address, then-President Donald Trump introduced him to thunderous applause.
In announcing his death, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III and Vice President Kamala Harris labeled him a hero. McGee leaves behind 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
Rest easy, General Charles McGee. America salutes a life well-lived.
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