Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Earl Brown -

(EXCERPT) Veteran of Korean and Vietnam wars, Alexandria

Sunday, August 17, 2003; Page W05

As a teenager in World War II, I used to deliver black newspapers
every Thursday. That was my little gig. And they would be filled with
news every week about the Tuskegee Airmen and the marvelous
accomplishments they were having in Europe. That's what really
motivated me to fly. Until the Tuskegee Airmen, I had no idea that
aviation was an opportunity for young black men in America.

When you fly in fighter planes, it is a team operation. You cannot
excel as a single individual. When your life depends on the fellow in
the other airplane, what you are mainly interested in is his ability
to put the airplane where it should be, to fire his weapon accurately,
to respond to your needs and to protect you in combat. What color he
is kind of falls to the bottom of all those other priorities. When you
climb in a fighter plane, you put on a helmet. You put on an oxygen
mask. You...

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---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com