Clarence D. Lester
United States of America | |
---|---|
Service/ | |
Years of service | 1942-1969 |
Rank | Colonel |
Unit | 322nd Fighter Squadron Tuskegee Airmen |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen |
Clarence D. "Lucky" Lester (February 23, 1923 – March 17, 1986) was an American
Lester best known as one of two Tuskegee pilots who shot down three
Early life, family, education
Lester was born on February 23, 1923, in
World War II
The
Overall, Lester was one of only nine Tuskegee Airmen pilots with at least three confirmed kills during World War II.
Awards
- Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen in 2006
After WWII
While flying an F-84E Thunderjet it experienced mechanical failure and exploded into flames forcing Lester to yank his ejection seat and parachute from the inflamed jet, which made him "only the sixth pilot ever to use the ejection method."[10] Later in his career he also worked with the infamous "Whiz kids" that Robert McNamara assembled at the Office of the Secretary of Defense.[9] In 1969 Lester retired as a full colonel and was then appointed as associate director of social services in Rockville, Maryland.[9]
In 1969, Lester, along with three Department of Defense analysts, also founded the company which would later become ICF International following his military service. The original Inner City Fund was a venture capital firm aimed at supporting minority-owned businesses to achieve government contracts. In the early 1970s the company transitioned toward a consulting model and has now achieved over $1.5B in annual revenue.[11]
Personal life
Bibliography
Notes
- ^ a b Hardesty 2008
- ^ Homan & Reilly 2001, p. 136
- ^ Nalty 1989, p. 153
- ^ United States Air Force 2012
- ^ Tuskegee Airmen. "LEGACY - THE PEOPLE." https://tuskegeeairmen.org/legacy/the-people/
- ^ a b American Air Museum in Britain. "Clarence D Lester." http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/241747
- ^ Watch the Yard. "Fly Nupes: Photos Of The Handsome And Daring Men Of Kappa Alpha Psi Who Served As Tuskegee Airmen." https://www.watchtheyard.com/kappas/tuskegee-airmen/14/
- ^ Campbell 1983
- ^ a b c Gubert, Sawyer & Fannin 2002, p. 198
- ^ a b Viera 2018
- ^ "History: 50+ Years of Impact".
- ^ "Clarence D Lester | American Air Museum in Britain". www.americanairmuseum.com. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
References
- Campbell, Crispin Y. (February 23, 1983). "Black Pilots Of '40s Charted New Horizons". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- Gubert, Betty Kaplan; Sawyer, Miriam; Fannin, Caroline M (2002). Distinguished African Americans in Aviation and Space Science. ISBN 9781573562461. - Total pages: 319
- Hardesty, Von (2008). Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History. ISBN 9780061261381. - Total pages: 180
- Homan, Lynn; Reilly, Thomas (2001). Black Knights: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen. ISBN 9781455601257. - Total pages: 336
- Nalty, Bernard C. (1989). Strength for the Fight: A History of Black Americans in the Military. ISBN 9780029224113. - Total pages: 424
- United States Air Force (February 8, 2012). "Tuskegee Airman gives account of 'lucky' day". United States Air Force. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- Viera, Bené (April 12, 2018). "This black fighter pilot broke all kinds of records. He doesn't even have a Wikipedia page". timeline.com. Retrieved May 6, 2018.