Marion Rodgers
Marion Raymond "Rodge" Rodgers USAAF (23 September 1921 – 5 December 2017) was a member of the
Early life and education
Rodgers was born in
World War II
Flight Training
When World War II broke out, a program was announced to allow African-Americans to apply for flight training. The American military at that time was still
His primary flight training in
Missions flown
During the war, Rodgers piloted 69 missions for the Army Air Force.[11]
In an interview Rodgers described the August 12 mission in Southern France, August 12 and 14, 1944, by the
“It was my first strafing mission," he said. "We went into the target area at 15,000 feet. I was number four man in the lead flight. Our leader brought us over the target, which were radar stations near the coast." Then he rolled his plane over on its back and went down on the target in almost a vertical dive. "I had been nervous up to this time," he said, "but when I started my dive it all left me. Now my attention was centered on bringing my ship out of the dive because it had gathered tremendous speed and the ground was rushing towards me. I still hadn’t located the target. I was slightly to the right of the ship ahead of me and I saw him veer off to the right rather sharply, but I followed the other ships ahead of me while still pushing my own ship through a near split S".[12][13][14]
“As my ship leveled out about 50 feet above the ground, I had a glimpse of something that looked very much like the picture we had seen of radar stations. I had a chance to hold my trigger down for two seconds, then zigzagged out to sea on the deck. When I returned to the base I found out that our flight of eight had lost two ships, one of them being the ship that had veered to my right. I had no vision of the flak."[12][13]
On another mission on December 3, 1944, Rodgers successfully
After the Korean War, Rodgers was a B29 bomber pilot and helped in military training of South Koreans.
Later life
After the war, Rodgers was the last commander of the 99th Squadron, assigned by William A. Campbell, before racial integration of the Air Force in 1948 and the squadron's deactivation. Following 22 years in the Air Force, he worked in communications for NORAD and NASA.[16]
When the film
At age 93, Rodgers attracted media attention when he flew once again in a P-51, courtesy the "Wish of a Lifetime" Foundation.[18][19][20]
Although a place was reserved for him at Arlington, Rodgers opted to be buried next to his son, Thomas Stephen Rodgers, in Colorado Springs, CO. He was born Sept. 23, 1921 and died Dec. 5, 2017. He was honored by a Tuskegee manned flyover of P-51s P-51 flyover a final farewell for a Tuskegee Airman
Awards and Commemorations
For his actions during World War II, Rodgers was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.[21][22][23]
In 2007, although invited and family offered support, Marion Rodgers was not present when the Tuskegee Airmen were collectively awarded a Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. (He refused to leave his wife, Suzanne T., a juvenile diabetic.)
He did receive his medal. Senator Mark Udall of Colorado congratulated Rodgers and the other eight airmen from Colorado in a speech in the Colorado House of Representatives.[24]
Along with the other Tuskegee flyers from Colorado, Rodgers is honored at the
References
- ^ Gropman, Alan L. (1978). The Air Force Integrates 1945–64 2E , Dianne Publishing, London, 1978, p. 358
- ISBN 9781588382443– via Google Books.
- ^ "Nel Lampe ,"Tuskegee Airmen break color barrier", Fort Carson Mountaineer Feb. 25, 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Jerilee Bennett " Tuskegee Airmen Remembered", Colorado Springs Gazette, May 2, 2016.] Jerilee Bennett " Tuskegee Airmen Remembered", Colorado Springs Gazette, May 2, 2016.]
- ^ a b "Original Tuskegee Airmen Colorado residents Captain Samuel C. Hunter,..." Getty Images. 8 February 2013.
- ^ "Tuskegee Airman shares experiences with Fort Carson WTB". www.army.mil.
- ^ a b c d "Laurens County African American History: MARION RODGERS". 12 April 2013.
- ^ a b Scott Thompson, "Flying Man of Tuskegee", Flight Lines, September, 2014 [dead link]
- ^ a b "THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN OF LAURENS COUNTY, GEORGIA". Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "List of Tuskegee Airmen, Tuskegee University". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
- ^ "Tuskegee Airman honored for service in World War II - KRDO". Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
- ^ user-generated source]
- ^ ISBN 9780828320290– via Google Books.
- ^ Charles E. Francis, The Tuskegee Airmen: The Story of the Negro in the U.S. Air Force, B. Humphries, Incorporated, 1956, p. 103
- ISBN 9781588382443– via Google Books.
- ^ "Tuskegee Airman shares experiences with Fort Carson WTB".
- ^ Lisa Kennedy, "Quibbles Aside, They Did A Real Good Job..." , Denver Post, January 18, 2012/
- ^ "The Tri-County Sentry". Tri County Sentry -.
- ^ Jeremy Foster, "Tuskegee Airman Flies Over Camarillo", Ventura County Star, September 7, 2014 ]
- ^ "The Hero Next Door," Optimum Life Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 1, January 2015
- ISBN 9781881368106.
- ^ Smith, Erica (26 September 2009). "Tuskegee Airmen awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross". STLtoday.com.
- ^ "Air Force Historical Support Division > Home" (PDF).
- ^ "Congressional Record, Volume 153, Part 11, June 6, 2007 to June 15, 2007". Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
- ^ ""Tuskegee Airmen," Wing Tips, March 2013" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ House Resolution 1331 legis.ga.gov
- ^ ""Tuskegee Airman Honored for Service in World War II", KRDO News, February 8, 2015". Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Tuskegee Airman to be Honored at CAF So Cal Wing". Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- ^ "Tuskegee Airman Honored for Service in World War II, KRDO News, February 8, 2015". Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Quibbles aside, "They did a real good job," Tuskegee veteran and retired Lt. Col. Marion R. Rodgers says of "Red Tails"". 18 January 2012.
- ISBN 978-0828320290.
Marion Rogers Tuskegee.