BiographyWilliam A. Johnston (1926-2005) was raised in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and discovered his passion for airplanes at a very young age. He enlisted in the army at 17 and was a Second Lieutenant with the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black pilots to be enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces. In the late 1930s the Civilian Aviation Program was established at historically black colleges, Hampton Institute, West Virginia State College, Tuskegee Institute, Virginia State College, Delaware State College, and Howard University. During World War II President Franklin Roosevelt allowed a flight school to be created to train the black pilots who wanted to fight in the war. The flight school was established in Alabama on 19th July 1941 at Tuskegee University. Out of the 992 pilots who graduated to form the army’s 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group at the time, 450 were sent overseas as the 99th Pursuit Squadron. The squadron accomplished their missions beyond expectation and ended up losing about 98 pilots to combat and as prisoners of war. The distinct achievements of the airmen earned them multiple honors in the form of 2 Soldier medals, 8 purple hearts, 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 744 Air medals and clusters. The goggles and helmet used by Johnston during his service therefore signify the continued pride and legacy of the brave Tuskegee airmen who lay down their lives and paved the way through segregation and racial discrimination for future black men and women to be a part of the army. After William Johnston’s service as a Tuskegee airman, he got employed by the Federal Aviation Administration and became an Air Traffic Controller. Upon retiring, he became a flight instructor for the Federal Aviation Administration as well as a corporate pilot. He was a member of the North Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Sources:
Bancroft, Colette. “They Were Pilots—and Pioneers.” Tampa Bay Times, Newspapers.com. p.64. 26 July 2005.
Hawk, Jason. “Tuskegee Airmen Finally Get Their Due with Juneteenth Plaque.” Oberlin News-Tribune. 16 May 2017. https://www.theoberlinnewstribune.com/news/7552/tuskegee-airmen-finally-get-their-due-with-juneteenth-plaque
