Decorated Tuskegee Airman Brig. Gen. Charles McGee died on Sunday at 102.
McGee, who served for 30 years in the military and was a prominent pilot and leader among the first black aviators in World War II, died peacefully in his sleep in his Maryland home, a family spokesperson said.
“He had his right hand over his heart and was smiling serenely,” McGee’s youngest daughter, Yvonne, said in a family statement.
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“Today, we lost an American hero,” tweeted Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. “Charles McGee, Brigadier General and one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airman passed at the age of 102. While I am saddened by his loss, I’m also incredibly grateful for his sacrifice, his legacy, and his character. Rest in peace, General.”
Today, we lost an American hero. Charles McGee, Brigadier General and one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airman, passed at the age of 102. While I am saddened by his loss, I’m also incredibly grateful for his sacrifice, his legacy, and his character. Rest in peace, General. pic.twitter.com/3GLNbfRHs7
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) January 16, 2022
McGee, who had lived in Bethesda, Maryland, flew 409 combat missions during World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. His plane was hit by enemy fire twice.
McGee left the University of Illinois to join an experimental program for black soldiers to become pilots in 1942. He was sent to Tuskegee Army Air Field for flight training. McGee would graduate from flight school in 1943 and join the all-black 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the “Red Tails.”
“You could say that one of the things we were fighting for was equality,” McGee told the Associated Press in a 1995 interview. “Equality of opportunity. We knew we had the same skills, or better.”
McGee flew in 1396 missions accompanying bombers over Europe. After World War II, McGee would remain in the Army Air Corps (later renamed the U.S. Air Force) and serve for 30 years.
His length of service and breadth of missions across three wars remains a record, according to the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
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The aviator earned several awards over his career, including Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with Two Clusters, two Presidential Unit Citations, and several others.
McGee retired from the military in 1973 and went on to serve as a vice president at a real estate holding company and manager of the Kansas City Downtown Airport.
