Dr. Eugene Derricotte was the last of a storied band of warriors who, during World War II, rose above their nation’s racism to help defend its democracy.
Dr. Eugene Derricotte, and his wife, Jeanne, share a laugh in 2015. Derricotte was the last of a storied band of warriors who, during World War II, rose above their nation’s racism to help defend its democracy.The passing of Dr. Eugene Derricotte closes an era in San Antonio, and is part of the closing of an era in American history.the retired Air Force colonel was San Antonio’s last surviving Tuskegee airman.
But because their belief in their nation’s promises and possibilities was stronger than the racism of their nation’s leaders, Black men who had trained in the airfields of Tuskegee, Ala., defied racist stereotypes. The Tuskegee Airmen fighter group was composed of the 301st, 302nd, 99th and 100th fighter squadrons. In more than 15,000 sorties, on 1,500 missions, they lost only 25 of the planes they escorted.
Like many other Tuskegee Airmen, Derricotte was as accomplished in times of peace as he was in times of war. He was one of the first Black football players at the University of Michigan where he shone as a halfback and record-setting punt returner. For more than 60 years, these fabled aviators had a number that made them perfect. The number was zero. That’s how many bombers they lost to enemy fighters. When it was mentioned in public events that they never lost any of the bombers they escorted, the feat would elicit loud and appreciative applause.
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