Oscar Lawton Wilkerson Jr., the last known surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen in the Chicago area, has died.
The last known Tuskegee Airman in the Chicago area has died. Oscar Lawton Wilkerson Jr. passed away last month, but his friends and educators say his legacy -- and that of the Tuskegee Airmen -- will always live on in spirit.
"If you get a chance to fly early on, this might be your time, something you want to accomplish," Wilkerson once said. Rapier spent years with Wilkerson, as head of the Chicago chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Together, they spread that adoration of flight and aviation excellence."There were 50 original Tuskegee airmen in our chapter in the year 2000. So we have gone from 50 to zero. So it's a little hard to take, but our objective is to continue the legacy," Rapier said.
Wilkerson and other Tuskegee aviators had their wings, but faced racism and prejudice during World War II and when they returned home. Wilkerson couldn't get a job flying commercial planes, but instead became a bus driver, while persevering through it all.
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