'Red Tail' Member Visits The Pentagon

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'Red Tail' Member Visits The Pentagon By Richard A. Williams

		March 23, 2012 - The Air Force hosted one of the original Tuskegee Airmen and his family March 16 during a tour of the Pentagon. Retired Lt. Col. Walter McCreary, his daughter Stephanie Lynch and grandson Nicholas Lynch were given a tour of the Air Force Art Gallery, the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial and the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit in the Pentagon. McCreary, who is 94, also met with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, who presented him with a flag that was flown over the Pentagon to commemorate his visit. A World War II aerial combat veteran with 89 missions in the European theater, he spent time as a prisoner of war in Germany after his P-51 Mustang was hit by anti-aircraft fire that destroyed its radiator over the skies of Bucharest, Romania. McCreary recalled coming to the Pentagon while on active duty in the 1950s when he flew courier missions to deliver classified messages for the then Air Force Security Services from Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presents an American flag that was flown over the Pentagon to retired Lt. Col. Walter McCreary on March 16, 2012. Schwartz hosted McCreary, an original Tuskegee Airman

"I would land at Bolling Air Force Base, take a water taxi to the Pentagon, deliver information, take a water taxi back to Bolling and fly back to San Antonio," he said. "It wasn't as busy back then and it seems there is a lot more hustle and bustle going on today." The historical displays in the building were impressive, McCreary said. He said he wished more young people could see them because he doesn't believe they understand military history. "This is something I couldn't have done 50 years ago because I would not have been received in this way," he added. The challenge of racial barriers was something he and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen had to face in the segregated landscape of the then Army Air Forces but it was a challenge he and his fellow Airmen undertook. "As a cadet, we won the battle and were accepted as a cadet," McCreary said. "Racial barriers were the main stumbling block because you never got a chance to prove your ability both educationally and physically because of segregation. You always stayed on 'the other side of the track'."

		McCreary was able to break down some of the racial barriers he and his fellow Airmen faced by focusing on his goal of flying. This must be the attitude of young Airmen today, he said. "If you have a goal in your life continue with it regardless of the trials and tribulations and the setbacks," he said. "Prove yourself to be successful." Other News Stories (For the latest news please checkout our home page) 75 Years Later The Search For Amelia Earhart Resumes Former McDonnell Douglas CEO Sandy McDonnell Dies At 89 Japan Airlines To Take Its First Delivery Of The 787 Dreamliner Progress & Challenges For The FAA In Responding To The Airline Safety Act Senselessly Gundowned Trayvon Martin Aspired To Be An Aviation Mechanic FAA To Increase Efficiency Reduce Aircraft Emissions In Northern California Coast Guard Releases Findings Of Investigation Into 2010 Helicopter Crash UPS Reaches Agreement On Cash Offer To Purchase TNT Express Airbus To Focus On Aviation Growth & Environment At Summit In Geneva IATA, Air Cargo Industry Agenda Must Address Safety, Security, Sustainability UPS Remains In Discussions With TNT Express To Purchase Company Airtran Airways Ordered To Reinstate Pilot, Pay More Than $1 Million IATA Highlights Montreal?s Important Role In Global Aviation Former Cessna Employee Sentenced to 18 Months for Stealing Parts from Hawker Beechcraft Services Opens Maintenance Facility At Dekalb Airport Large Model Aircraft Are Restricted To Fly In Central London During Olympics Airline Passenger Travel To Nearly Double In Two Decades Passenger Attempts To Smuggle Cigarettes Into Washington Dulles Airport Russian MRO Provider Acquires Oregon Based Epic Aircraft Environmental Group Sues EPA To Get The Lead Out Of Aviation Gasoline Boeing Completes Flight Testing For Certification Of 787s With GE Engines FAA Seeks Public Input On UAS Test Site Selection US Navy Takes Possession Of Its First Boeing P-8A Poseidon U.S. Air Force Expands Drug Testing To Include Abused Prescription Drugs 2011 Accident Rate For Western Built Jets Lowest In Aviation History Pemco World Air Services Enters Chapter 11 GE To Provide 3D Airport Maps, High Resolution Terrain And Obstacle FAA Fines Colgan Air, Pilots/Fight Attendants Not Getting Minimum Amount Of Rest FAA Grants Gulfstream G280 A Provisional Type Certificate Airbus A350 XWB Landing Gear Test Bench Ready For Service Hawker Beechcraft 4000 Capitalizes On Expanding Market In Brazil APA Files Lawsuit ?To Clarify Legal Gray Area? In American Airlines Bankruptcy Passenger Traffic Continues To Rise While Air Freight Takes A Dive