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Elsberry destroyed three enemy aircraft over France in a single mission on July 12, 1944, and a fourth aircraft in July 20, 1944, becoming the first [[African American]] fighter pilot to do so. He is one of three Tuskegee Airmen to have come close to earning the US Military designation, [[Fighter Ace]].<ref> "THE LEGEND OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ACE." Daniel Haulman, PhD. Air Force Historical Research Agency. https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/AFD-141118-043.pdf </ref><ref> The American Fighter Aces Association. "The American Fighter Ace". https://www.americanfighteraces.org/the-aces/ </ref> Elsberry, "Buddy" [[Lee Archer (pilot)]], and [[Edward Toppins]] each destroyed four enemy aircraft during [[World War II]] aerial missions in Europe.<ref> Aces of WW2. "Tuskegee Airmen." https://acesofww2.com/tuskegee/ </ref> None of these Tuskegee Airmen ever received credit for the coveted fifth “kill” which would have placed a fighter pilot in the rare “ace” category. <ref> Black Past. "BLACK HISTORY MONTH, 2014: THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN ON BLACKPAST.ORG." https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/tuskegee-airmen-blackpast-org/ </ref><ref> “TUSKEGEE EXPERIENCE”. Theopolis W. Johnson.
Elsberry destroyed three enemy aircraft over France in a single mission on July 12, 1944, and a fourth aircraft in July 20, 1944, becoming the first [[African American]] fighter pilot to do so. He is one of three Tuskegee Airmen to have come close to earning the US Military designation, [[Fighter Ace]].<ref> "THE LEGEND OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ACE." Daniel Haulman, PhD. Air Force Historical Research Agency. https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/AFD-141118-043.pdf </ref><ref> The American Fighter Aces Association. "The American Fighter Ace". https://www.americanfighteraces.org/the-aces/ </ref> Elsberry, "Buddy" [[Lee Archer (pilot)]], and [[Edward Toppins]] each destroyed four enemy aircraft during [[World War II]] aerial missions in Europe.<ref> Aces of WW2. "Tuskegee Airmen." https://acesofww2.com/tuskegee/ </ref> None of these Tuskegee Airmen ever received credit for the coveted fifth “kill” which would have placed a fighter pilot in the rare “ace” category. <ref> Black Past. "BLACK HISTORY MONTH, 2014: THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN ON BLACKPAST.ORG." https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/tuskegee-airmen-blackpast-org/ </ref><ref> “TUSKEGEE EXPERIENCE”. Theopolis W. Johnson.
https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/TuskegeeExperience(1).pdf </ref> However, despite some contention, [[Lee Archer (pilot)]] is considered by some as the first and—as of 2010—only African American U.S. pilot to earn an "ace" designation.<ref> Francis, Charles E. The Tuskegee Airmen. Boston: Bruce Humpries, Inc., 1955. pp. 92, 194. </ref><ref> "Tuskegee Airmen Ace of World War II, Dies." CBS News, January 29, 2010. Retrieved: December 25, 2012. </ref><ref> The History Channel. "Dogfights: The First Tuskegee Ace of WWII.". Feb 17, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr7nzvwm2Z4 </ref>
https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/TuskegeeExperience(1).pdf </ref>


On September 10, 1944, [[Brigadier General]] [[Benjamin Davis Sr.]], the first African American to receive the rank of General and the father of Tuskegee Airmen commander [[Benjamin O. Davis Jr.]], awarded Elsberry the prestigious [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]. Elsberry received this award single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flights on July 12, 1944 and July 20, 1944.<ref> "Distinguished Flying Cross". The Institute of Heraldry: Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the ARMY. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-21.</ref> Several major military leaders attended the ceremony including [[Ira C. Eaker]], Commanding General of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, [[Nathan F. Twining]], Commanding General of the 15th Air Force, and [[Dean C. Strother]], Commanding General of the 306th Fighter Wing of the 15th Air Force.<ref> Cafe Rise Above. "Joseph Dubois Elsberry". https://cafriseabove.org/joseph-d-elsberry/ </ref><ref> Find a Grave. "Maj Joseph Dubois “Jodie” Elsberry". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25071957/joseph-dubois-elsberry </ref>
On September 10, 1944, [[Brigadier General]] [[Benjamin Davis Sr.]], the first African American to receive the rank of General and the father of Tuskegee Airmen commander [[Benjamin O. Davis Jr.]], awarded Elsberry the prestigious [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]. Elsberry received this award single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flights on July 12, 1944 and July 20, 1944.<ref> "Distinguished Flying Cross". The Institute of Heraldry: Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the ARMY. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-21.</ref> Several major military leaders attended the ceremony including [[Ira C. Eaker]], Commanding General of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, [[Nathan F. Twining]], Commanding General of the 15th Air Force, and [[Dean C. Strother]], Commanding General of the 306th Fighter Wing of the 15th Air Force.<ref> Cafe Rise Above. "Joseph Dubois Elsberry". https://cafriseabove.org/joseph-d-elsberry/ </ref><ref> Find a Grave. "Maj Joseph Dubois “Jodie” Elsberry". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25071957/joseph-dubois-elsberry </ref>

Revision as of 18:04, 24 June 2021

Joseph Elsberry
Born
Joseph Dubois Elsberry

25 April 1921
Langston, Oklahoma
Died31 March 1985
Los Angeles, California
Cause of deathHeart attack
Resting placeArlington National Cemetery
Alma materLangston University
Occupations
  • Military officer
  • fighter pilot
Years active1942-1962

Joseph D. Elsberry (25 April 1921 – 31 March 1985) was a African-American World War II fighter pilot in the 301st Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group, commonly known as the Tuskegee Airmen.[1]

Considered one of the most gifted, most aggressive and fearless fighter pilots within the Tuskegee Airmen, Elsberry was one of the first African-American military aviators in the United States Army Air Corps, the United States Army Air Forces and later the United States Air Force, eventually earning the rank of Major before retiring in 1962.[2][3]

Elsberry destroyed three enemy aircraft over France in a single mission on July 12, 1944, and a fourth aircraft in July 20, 1944, becoming the first African American fighter pilot to do so. He is one of three Tuskegee Airmen to have come close to earning the US Military designation, Fighter Ace.[4][5] Elsberry, "Buddy" Lee Archer (pilot), and Edward Toppins each destroyed four enemy aircraft during World War II aerial missions in Europe.[6] None of these Tuskegee Airmen ever received credit for the coveted fifth “kill” which would have placed a fighter pilot in the rare “ace” category. [7][8] However, despite some contention, Lee Archer (pilot) is considered by some as the first and—as of 2010—only African American U.S. pilot to earn an "ace" designation.[9][10][11]

On September 10, 1944, Brigadier General Benjamin Davis Sr., the first African American to receive the rank of General and the father of Tuskegee Airmen commander Benjamin O. Davis Jr., awarded Elsberry the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross (United States). Elsberry received this award single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flights on July 12, 1944 and July 20, 1944.[12] Several major military leaders attended the ceremony including Ira C. Eaker, Commanding General of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, Nathan F. Twining, Commanding General of the 15th Air Force, and Dean C. Strother, Commanding General of the 306th Fighter Wing of the 15th Air Force.[13][14]

Early Life, Family

Born Joseph Dubois Elsberry in Langston, Oklahoma. Elsberry was the youngest child and only son of Joseph Dean Elsberry (1890–1930), a school teacher and civic leader, and Beulah Earle Meeks Elsberry (1894–1969), a school teacher. [15] [16] He was the younger brother of Beulah O'Dyne Elsberry Irons (1916–1984), an accomplished pianist and organist, and finish tailor. [17]

Prior to joining the military, Elsberry attended Langston University for three years.[18]

Elsberry is considered Langston, Oklahoma's most famous resident for shooting down three enemy German aircraft in one day during World War II.[19][20]

Elsberry had XXX children including Jolai Elsberry Jenkins and Andrea E. Elsberry.[21]

Military Career, Fame as Tuskegee Airmen Fighter Pilot

Elsberry enlisted in the US Army in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on 19 Feb 1942, receiving Army Serial Number 18086103 [22]

Prior to 1942, African Americans were not permitted to become fighter pilots because of Jim Crow segregation and rampant racial discrimination in the United States. As the United States ramped up its involvement in World War II, the U.S. military experienced a severe shortage of skilled, experienced pilots. As African American newspapers and civil rights organizations pleaded for African American participation in the military and aeronautics, the U.S. Army Corp created a test aviator training program for African American men. This Tuskegee Airmen program, initiated in June 1941, began at Tuskegee, Alabama at the Tuskegee Army Airfield near Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University). [23][24]

Elsberry became one of the most famous graduates of Tuskegee Army Flying School, graduating with Class 42-H-SE on September 6, 1942. As a member of the all-African American 332nd Fighter Group, Elsberry would become one of the greatest, most fearless fighter pilots to have graduated from the Tuskegee Army Flying School.[25]

As a Captain, Elsberry led the 301st Fighter Squadron. [26] On 23 June 1944, Elsberry and his squadron of P-51 “Mustang” fighter jets sank a German destroyer in Italy's Trieste Harbor employing exclusively 50-caliber machine guns. Though the German military denied destruction of its destroyer at the hands of US fighter pilots, film confirmed the successful attack.[27]

On 12 July 1944, Elsberry, while escorting bombers with his squadron in southern Italy, shot down three German Focke-Wulf 190s in a single day.

On 20 July 1944, Elsberry destroyed an enemy Messerschmitt 109 aircraft on his accomplishments were tantamount to those of an “ace” fighter pilot. His 4 kills came very close to meeting US Military designation for a Fighter Ace.[28] Elsberry joined fellow Tuskegee Airmen Edward L. Toppins and "Buddy" Lee Archer (pilot) to each destroy four enemy aircraft. [29]

Elsberry retired in 1962 with the rank of Major.[30]

Later Life & Death

After returning to Oklahoma, Elsberry relocated to San Francisco in 1962, working for Western Electric Company until his final retirement in 1977.

On 31 March 1985, Elsberry had a heart attack and died in his San Francisco, California apartment. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 42, Grave 2804.[31][32][33]

References

Category:1921 births Category:1985 deaths Category:Military personnel from Oklahoma Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery


  1. ^ Cafe Rise Above. "Joseph Dubois Elsberry". https://cafriseabove.org/joseph-d-elsberry/
  2. ^ Cafe Rise Above. "Joseph Dubois Elsberry". https://cafriseabove.org/joseph-d-elsberry/
  3. ^ Find a Grave. "Maj Joseph Dubois “Jodie” Elsberry". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25071957/joseph-dubois-elsberry
  4. ^ "THE LEGEND OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ACE." Daniel Haulman, PhD. Air Force Historical Research Agency. https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/AFD-141118-043.pdf
  5. ^ The American Fighter Aces Association. "The American Fighter Ace". https://www.americanfighteraces.org/the-aces/
  6. ^ Aces of WW2. "Tuskegee Airmen." https://acesofww2.com/tuskegee/
  7. ^ Black Past. "BLACK HISTORY MONTH, 2014: THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN ON BLACKPAST.ORG." https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/tuskegee-airmen-blackpast-org/
  8. ^ “TUSKEGEE EXPERIENCE”. Theopolis W. Johnson. https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/TuskegeeExperience(1).pdf
  9. ^ Francis, Charles E. The Tuskegee Airmen. Boston: Bruce Humpries, Inc., 1955. pp. 92, 194.
  10. ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Ace of World War II, Dies." CBS News, January 29, 2010. Retrieved: December 25, 2012.
  11. ^ The History Channel. "Dogfights: The First Tuskegee Ace of WWII.". Feb 17, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr7nzvwm2Z4
  12. ^ "Distinguished Flying Cross". The Institute of Heraldry: Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the ARMY. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  13. ^ Cafe Rise Above. "Joseph Dubois Elsberry". https://cafriseabove.org/joseph-d-elsberry/
  14. ^ Find a Grave. "Maj Joseph Dubois “Jodie” Elsberry". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25071957/joseph-dubois-elsberry
  15. ^ Find a Grave. "Joseph Dean Elsberry". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7220356/joseph-dean-elsberry
  16. ^ Find a Grave. "Beulah Earle Meeks Elsberry". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7220329/beulah-earle-elsberry
  17. ^ Find a Grave. "Beulah O'Dyne Elsberry Irons." https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7220403/beulah-o'dyne-irons
  18. ^ Fold3 by Ancestry. "Joseph D Elsberry - Facts: World War II · US Army." https://www.fold3.com/page/84801016/joseph-d-elsberry/facts
  19. ^ Travel Noire. "Three Predominantly Black Towns That Are Still Thriving After The Great Migration." Danielle Dorsey. May 21, 2019. https://travelnoire.com/three-predominantly-black-towns-still-thriving-today
  20. ^ Francis, Charles E. (1997). The Tuskegee Airmen: The Men who Changed a Nation. Branden.
  21. ^ Flickr. "Red Tails Tuskegee Airmen: Tuskegee Airman, Joseph D. Elsberry, with boxer, Joe Louis." https://www.flickr.com/photos/teeokeefe/6727411641
  22. ^ Fold3. "Joseph D. Elsberry." https://www.fold3.com/page/84801016/joseph-d-elsberry/facts
  23. ^ Arlington National Cemetery. "Tuskegee Airmen." https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Notable-Graves/African-Americans/Tuskegee-Airmen
  24. ^ National Parks Foundation. "TUSKEGEE AIRMEN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE INFORMATION." https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/explore-parks/tuskegee-airmen-national-historic-site
  25. ^ Cafe Rise Above. "Joseph Dubois Elsberry". https://cafriseabove.org/joseph-d-elsberry/
  26. ^ Ace Pilots. The "Tuskegee Airmen: First Group of African-American Fighter Pilots in WW2." Stephen Sherman, Feb. 2000. Updated June 29, 2011. http://acepilots.com/usaaf_tusk.html
  27. ^ Los Angles Times. "Joseph Elsberry; One of 1st Black Combat Pilots". APRIL 13, 1985. FROM TIMES WIRE SERVICES. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-04-13-fi-12351-story.html
  28. ^ "An American Fighter Ace is a U.S. citizen who has served honorably as a fighter pilot in a U.S. military service or the service of a nation not at war with the United States (or others who flew as a member of a U.S. military service) who has destroyed five or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat." The American Fighter Aces Association. "The American Fighter Ace". https://www.americanfighteraces.org/the-aces/
  29. ^ Aces of WW2. "Tuskegee Airmen." https://acesofww2.com/tuskegee/
  30. ^ Los Angles Times. "Joseph Elsberry; One of 1st Black Combat Pilots". APRIL 13, 1985. FROM TIMES WIRE SERVICES. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-04-13-fi-12351-story.html
  31. ^ Find a Grave. "Maj Joseph Dubois “Jodie” Elsberry". https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25071957/joseph-dubois-elsberry
  32. ^ Los Angles Times. "Joseph Elsberry; One of 1st Black Combat Pilots". APRIL 13, 1985. FROM TIMES WIRE SERVICES. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-04-13-fi-12351-story.html
  33. ^ Arlington National Cemetery. "Tuskegee Airmen." https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Notable-Graves/African-Americans/Tuskegee-Airmen
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