Willie Ashley: Difference between revisions
←Created page with '{{Infobox person | name = Willie Ashley | birth_name = Willie Lee Ashley Jr. | birth_date = May 23, 1921 | birth_place = Sumter, South Carolina, US | death_date = {{death date and age|1984|02|09|1921|05|23}} | death_place = Italy | resting_place = Arlington National Cemetery | alma_mater = Ohio State University (did not finish) | occupation = {{hlist|Military officer|f...' |
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Revision as of 16:46, 22 July 2021
Willie Ashley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Willie Lee Ashley Jr. May 23, 1921 |
| Died | February 9, 1984 (aged 62) |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Alma mater | Ohio State University (did not finish) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1942–1981 |
Willie Lee Ashley Jr. (May 23, 1921 – February 9, 1984) was was an U.S. Army Air Force officer and combat fighter pilot with the prodigious 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen, "Red Tails," or “Schwartze Vogelmenschen” ("Black Birdmen") among enemy German pilots.[1] He was a member of Tuskegee Airmen's fourth-ever aviation cadet program and one of the 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.[2][3]
On June 9, 1943, Ashley and fellow 99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks, Charles Dryden, Lee Rayford, Leon Roberts and Spann Watson became the first African American fighter pilots in history to engage in aerial combat.[4]
Early Life
Ashley was born on May 23, 1921 in Crocketville, South Carolina in Hampton County.[5] He was the son of Willie Ashley and Helen Gooding Ashley.[6]
Raised in Sumter, South Carolina, Ashley attended Lincoln High School. He was also a member of Mt. Pisgah A.M.E.Church.[7]
Ashley graduated from Morris College High School.[8]
Ashley attended Hampton Institute, now Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. While at Hampton, Ashley enrolled with the Civil Air Patrol's civilian pilot training program, earning his pilot’s license.[9]
On March 1, 1947, Ashley was initiated as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.'s Alpha Eta Chapter at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.[10]
Ashley was married to Dorothy P. Ashley. he had two stepchildren: E. David Ellington and Tamu Ellington Bess.[11]
Military Service, Tuskegee Airmen
The U.S. Army Air Corps admitted Ashley to its Advanced Flight School at Tuskegee Air Force Field. On July 3, 1942, Ashley graduated as a member of the Single Engine Section Cadet Class SE-42-F, receiving his wings and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.[12][13]
During World War II, Ashley flew 77 combat missions over a 14 month period, including missions in North Africa, Sicily, and France. Though he was credited with two kills, the U.S. Army Air Corps did not credit Ashley for a third kill allegedly based on material provided by Shaw Air Force Base.[14]
On June 9, 1943, Ashley and fellow 99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks, Charles Dryden, Lee Rayford, Leon Roberts and Spann Watson became the first African American fighter pilots in history to engage in aerial combat.[15][16]
After World War II, Ashley returned to the United States and continued his military service as a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve. In 1981, he retired from the military with the rank of Lt Colonel.
Post-World War II Education
Ashley earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Omaha and a master’s degree in parasitology from Catholic University. He also earned a PhD in radiation biology from Catholic University.. Ashley also worked for the federal Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency where he retired as an administrator in 1976. He served as a professor at Howard University, retiring in 1983 after experience health issues.
Death
Ashley passed away on February 9, 1984 in Washington, DC.[17] He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 65, Site 3622, in Arlington, Virginia.[18]
Legacy
- The Shaw Air Force Base officials renamed a road within the base the “Ashley-Bowman Boulevard" for Ashley and 1st Sgt. Leroy Bowman, both Sumter, South Carolina natives who served with the Tuskegee Airmen.[19][20]
See also
- Executive Order 9981
- List of Tuskegee Airmen
- List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes
- Military history of African Americans
References
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster". CAF Rise Above. CAF Rise Above. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ U.S. Army. "Tuskegee Airmen Soared to New Heights." John J. Kurash, U.S. Army Military History Institute. May 8, 2007. https://www.army.mil/article/3028/tuskegee_airmen_soared_to_new_heights
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ Find a Grave. LTC Willie Ashley Jr. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31967072/willie-ashley
- ^ Find a Grave. LTC Willie Ashley Jr. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31967072/willie-ashley
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ Watch the Yard. "BACK IN THE DAY - Fly Nupes: Photos Of The Handsome And Daring Men Of Kappa Alpha Psi Who Served As Tuskegee Airmen." https://www.watchtheyard.com/kappas/tuskegee-airmen/36/
- ^ Find a Grave. LTC Willie Ashley Jr. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31967072/willie-ashley
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster." https://cafriseabove.org/the-tuskegee-airmen/tuskegee-airmen-pilot-roster/ . This data derives from CAF Rise Above's research project compiling data from Tuskegee Airmen historians including the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ U.S. Army. "Tuskegee Airmen Soared to New Heights." John J. Kurash, U.S. Army Military History Institute. May 8, 2007. https://www.army.mil/article/3028/tuskegee_airmen_soared_to_new_heights
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ Find a Grave. LTC Willie Ashley Jr. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31967072/willie-ashley
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
- ^ Shaw Air Force Base. "Shaw, Sumter honor Tuskegee Airmen." https://www.shaw.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2001574615/
- ^ CAF Rise Above. "Willie Ashley Jr. https://cafriseabove.org/willie-ashley-jr/
