Oldest Surviving Tuskegee Airman Dies

November 23, 2016 - Willie Rogers, the oldest remaining member of the Tuskegee Airmen, died of complications from a stroke on November 18. He was 101 years old.

As a member of the first African-American military aviation squadron during World War II, Rogers was part of one of the most highly regarded groups in the war. He worked in logistics and administration for the 100th Fighter Squadron and his family told the Tampa Bay Times that he didn’t feel he was part of the heroics because he worked mostly on the ground. For that reason, Rogers did not speak up about his involvement in the Tuskegee Airmen until recent years.

In 2013, through efforts by his family to get him the recognition he deserved, Rogers was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, an honor bestowed upon 300 members of the Tuskegee Airmen by President George W. Bush in 2007.