Lt. Col. George Hardy, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen and the last of the group’s World War II combat pilots, died Tuesday night, according to Tuskegee Airmen Inc.
He was 100 years old.
“His legacy is one of courage, resilience, tremendous skill and dogged perseverance against racism, prejudice and other evils,” said Leon Butler, national president of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. “We are forever grateful for his sacrifice and will hold dear to his memory.”
At 19, Hardy became the youngest Tuskegee fighter pilot when he completed the Army Air Corps pilot training program in 1942, earning his wings and a commission as a second lieutenant.
He was among the first Black military pilots in the nation. Hardy flew 21 missions over Germany during World War II and also served in the Korean War and Vietnam War.
The U.S. military was segregated during World War II and created what was then called the Tuskegee Experiment to test whether Black Americans could command and maintain complex aircraft in battle.
Nearly 1,000 Black pilots completed training and earned their commissions. More than 300 served overseas during the war. Thousands of support personnel, including women, who were also part of the so-called experiment, also earned the right to call themselves Tuskegee Airmen, serving with distinction and ultimately helping to integrate the military.
There are 13 “Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen” still alive, according to the Tuskegee Airmen Inc., an organization started in 1975 to preserve legacy of the airmen.
