"Otis Willie PIO The American War Library" <themilitarytoday@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote in message news:jpu8u35ehtcib41892qkjjh3cpm1hpcbn6@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Tuskegee Airmen celebrate squadron formation
>
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/NEWS02/803210322/1009"
> id="u-AFrqEzef7nOd67iwfkKHkD-3BNoHB59tdQ:r-6_1144469338
>
> {EXCERPT} Montgomery Advertiser, AL The Army Air Corps announced the
> formation
> of its first-ever black combat unit, the 99th Pursuit Squadron, which
was
> later
> changed to the 99th Fighter...
>
>
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/NEWS02/803210322/1009"
> id="u-AFrqEzef7nOd67iwfkKHkD-3BNoHB59tdQ:r-6_1144469338
>
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Mr. Willie,
I truly enjoy your posts, ones that provide or ****nes a light on history.
In regard to the Tuskegee, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Arthur
Glover, a teacher in nutrition and health at Tuskegee when the airmen
came to the university to start their training and then on into history.
Mr. Glover and I spent a wonderful afternoon talking of those days
and times he taught there. He and the many teacher-instructors-professors
became observers of the men chosen and carefully studied the training
and results. He said he became close to many of the initial group of
pilots as did many of Tuskegee staff. For him, he had a sense of pride
but admitted he was a bit unaware of the events as nothing more than
a change of policy initiated by FDR. He, quite obviously, knew well
that it was pure prior discrimination by the higher official about the
so-called limitations of the black men who wanted to serve.
On the day we conversed at length about those days, he was even more
overwhelmed by the successes of the Tuskegee airmen as they surpassed
any and all expectations. He so enjoyed the revelations becoming more
public with many stories and a movie. He felt a sense of connection to
those days. His eyes sparkled and his expression said many, many words
that put a real feeling into the accounts.
Mr. Glover left Tuskegee sometime later and moved to California. He was
employed by Anderson's Food's (famous for its split pea soup) in Buelton,
California, as the head nutritionist for the company. He work for the
company
for some 40 years.
He passed away in 2002 at the age of 90. He was ever bit a erudite and
gracious man of quality and class. And I was so lucky to have had a
chance to share the histories and times of many events.
For me, whenever I meet someone who "was there," the satisfaction that I
receive by putting things in perspective with the coloring of details that
history books to often can not capture.
Thank you again, Mr. Willie.
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