Another American Hero Dies

Starguard · Jan 29, 2010

Well, at least he lived lon enought to see one of his own become president :jealous:

Pilot considered the only ace Tuskegee Airman dies

By VIRGINIA BYRNE, Associated Press Writer Virginia Byrne, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jan 28, 11:50 pm ET

NEW YORK – Retired Air Force Lt. Colonel Lee A. Archer, a Tuskegee Airman considered to be the only black ace pilot who also broke racial barriers as an executive at a major U.S. company and founder of a venture capital firm, died Wednesday in New York City. He was 90.
His son, Roy Archer, said his father died at Cornell University Medical Center in Manhattan. A cause of death was not immediately determined.
The Tuskegee Airmen were America's first black fighter pilot group in World War II.

"It is generally conceded that Lee Archer was the first and only black ace pilot," credited with shooting down five enemy planes, Dr. Roscoe Brown Jr., a fellow Tuskegee Airman and friend, said in a telephone interview Thursday.

Archer was acknowledged to have shot down four planes, and he and another pilot both claimed victory for shooting down a fifth plane. An investigation revealed Archer had inflicted the damage that destroyed the plane, said Brown, and the Air Force eventually proclaimed him an ace pilot.

Archer, a resident of New Rochelle, N.Y., "lived a full life," said his son. "His last two or three years were amazing for him."

Archer was among the group of Tuskegee Airmen invited to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. The airmen, who escorted bomber planes during the war fought with distinction, only to face bigotry and segregation when they returned home, were also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their service in 2007 by President George W. Bush.

Archer was "extremely competent, aggressive about asserting his position and sometimes stubborn," Brown said.

"He had a heart of gold and treated people with respect. He demanded respect by the way he carried himself."

Brown estimated that about 50 or 60 of the 994 Tuskegee Airmen pilots are still alive.

Born on Sept. 6, 1919, in Yonkers and raised in Harlem, Archer left New York University to enlist in the Army Air Corps in 1941 but was rejected for pilot training because the military didn't allow blacks to serve as pilots.

"A War Department study in 1925 expressly stated that Negroes didn't have the intelligence, or the character, or the leadership to be in combat units, and particularly, they didn't have the ability to be Air Force pilots," said Brown.

Archer instead joined a segregated Army Air Corps unit at the Tuskegee, Ala., air base, graduating from pilot training in July 1943.

After he retired from the military in 1970, Archer joined General Foods Corp., becoming one of the era's few black corporate vice presidents of a major American company.

He ran one of the company's small-business investment arms, North Street Capital Corp., which funded companies that included Essence Communications and Black Enterprise Magazine, according to his son and Brown.

Archer was an adviser to the late Reginald Lewis in the deal that created the conglomerate TLC Beatrice in 1987, then the largest black-owned and -managed business in the U.S.

After retiring from General Foods in 1987, Archer founded the venture capital firm Archer Asset Management.

Archer is survived by three sons and a daughter. His wife, Ina Archer, died in 1996. Services have yet to be announced.
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link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100129...WMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA3BpbG90Y29uc2lkZQ--

Midnight Funeral · Jan 29, 2010

One of his own?

Comparing that turd in Washington to this great man is tastelessness at its highest.

Forbin · Jan 29, 2010

Lt Col Archer:

Starguard:

Ward · Jan 29, 2010

American Hero
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Volpone · Jan 29, 2010

I enjoyed that "Dogfights" show on the History Channel a few years back. They'd interview these old guys about what they did and I imagine it was a bit like talking to a gunfighter.

oldfella1962 · Jan 29, 2010

Well, at least he lived lon enought to see one of his own become president :jealous:
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Really? A pilot became President? I thought JFK and George Bush Senior were pilots? I know it wasn't Lincoln......or was it?

Starguard · Jan 30, 2010

The Tuskegee Airmens pinup girl Leana Horne is in her 90's now

enlisted person · Jan 30, 2010

Sounds historic.

oldfella1962 · Jan 30, 2010

Not to be a wet blanket.....but why don't we have black pilots in today's military?

Yes, there are a few...but I've only seen a handful, and Ive been in the aviation game for 26 years now.

One would think the success of The Tuskeegee Airmen would have opened up the floodgates.

Will Power · Jan 31, 2010

Beck · Jan 31, 2010

One of his own as president eh? I would say any rational human being would say that a black person worth their grain in salt would own Obama about as much as my white ass would want to own the Rev. Freddy Phelps.

Starguard · Jan 31, 2010

Beck said: ↑

One of his own as president eh? I would say any rational human being would say that a black person worth their grain in salt would own Obama about as much as my white ass would want to own the Rev. Freddy Phelps.
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Another American Hero Dies

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Ward A Stepford Husband

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oldfella1962 the only real finish line

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enlisted person Black Swan

oldfella1962 the only real finish line

Will Power If you only knew the irony of my name.

Beck Monarchist, Far-Right Nationalist

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Another American Hero Dies

Starguard Fresh Meat

Midnight Funeral Cúchulainn

Forbin Do you feel fluffy, punk?

Ward A Stepford Husband

Volpone Zombie Hunter

oldfella1962 the only real finish line

Starguard Fresh Meat

enlisted person Black Swan

oldfella1962 the only real finish line

Will Power If you only knew the irony of my name.

Beck Monarchist, Far-Right Nationalist

Starguard Fresh Meat

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