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* In 2006, [[Tuskegee University]] awarded McCready a Doctor of Public Service honorary degree. <ref> Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990 </ref>
* In 2006, [[Tuskegee University]] awarded McCready a Doctor of Public Service honorary degree. <ref> Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990 </ref>
* In 2007, McCreary and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen were awarded the [[Congressional Gold Medal]].<ref> Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html </ref><ref> Associated Press (AP). "Tuskegee Airmen Get Congressional Medal." DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer Thu Mar 29, 5:13 PM ET https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/TuskegeeAirmenCGMCeremony.pdf </ref>
* In 2007, McCreary and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen were awarded the [[Congressional Gold Medal]].<ref> Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html </ref><ref> Associated Press (AP). "Tuskegee Airmen Get Congressional Medal." DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer Thu Mar 29, 5:13 PM ET https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/TuskegeeAirmenCGMCeremony.pdf </ref>
* On September 16, 2009, the [[U.S. Air Force]] and the Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition honored McCready, the Tuskegee Airmen and several members of the [[Doolittle Raiders]] with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the National Harbor in [[Oxon Hill, Maryland]].<ref> U.S. Air Force. "Air Force Association honors Doolittle Raiders, Tuskegee Airmen." Master Sgt. Ben Gonzales , Defense Media Activity - San Antonio / Published September 17, 2009. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/119121/air-force-association-honors-doolittle-raiders-tuskegee-airmen/ </ref>


==Death==
==Death==

Revision as of 15:57, 2 August 2021

Walter L. McCreary
Born
Walter Lee McCreary

March 4, 1918
San Antonio, Texas, US
DiedDecember 20, 2015(2015-12-20) (aged 97)
Columbus, Ohio, US
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Gardens, Columbus, Ohio, US
Alma materTuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University
Occupations
  • Military officer
  • fighter pilot
Years active1941–1963

Walter Lee McCreary (March 4, 1918 - December 20, 2015) was an U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force officer, former prisoner of war (POW), and one of the original combat fighter pilot with the prodigious 332nd Fighter Group's 100th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen, "Red Tails," or “Schwartze Vogelmenschen” ("Black Birdmen") among enemy German pilots. He is notable for becoming one of the first hundred African American fighter pilots in history, as well as one of 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.[1][2]

During his 90th mission on October 22, 1944, German anti-aircraft fire shot down McCreary's aircraft. After bailing and parachuting from his damaged aircraft near Lake Balaton in Poland, McCreary was accosted by angry civilians until enemy German soldiers interceded and captured him, transporting him to several prison camps. McCready eventually landed at the infamous Stalag Luft III [[POW] camp near Budapest, Hungary. Held in captivity for 9 months, McCready was liberated on April 29, 1945 when General George Patton and his army captured Stalag Luft III.[3] [4][5] [6] [7]

Early Life, Family

McCreary was born on March 4, 1918 in San Antonio, Texas. He was the son of Daisy Novella McCreary and James Walter McCreary, a railroad worker.[8] [9] He attended Phyllis Wheatley High School (now Brackenridge High School, graduating in 1935.[10]

McCreary attended Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Tuskegee, Alabama, majoring in Business Administration.[11] [12]

After graduating from Tuskegee Institute in 1940, McCreary earned his civilian pilot’s license through the Civilian Pilot Training Program.[13] [14]

In 1950, McCreary married Dorothy McCreary, a Columbus, Ohio native who attended East High School and Ohio State University.[15] They had five children: twin sons Walter Lee and William Allena who both passed away in infancy in 1951; Stephanie McCready Lynch, Sylvia M. Parks, and Andrea M. McCreary.[16]

McCready was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.[17]

Military Service, Tuskegee Airmen, Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft III

After graduating from Tuskegee Institute, McCreary was drafted by the U.S. Army.[18] On March 25, 1943, Ashley graduated as a member of the Single Engine Section Cadet Class SE-43-C, receiving his silver wings and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.[19] Soonafer, the U.S. Army Air Corps assigned McCreary to the 332nd Fighter Group's 100th Fighter Squadron.[20]

During World War II's European Theater, McCready flew 89 combat missions in P-39, P-47 and P-51 aircraft.[21] [22][23] He named his aircraft "Skipper’s Darling."[24] McCready's missions included bomber escort, strafing and patrol over France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Romania, Poland, Greece, Hungary and Yugoslavia.[25]

During his 90th mission on October 22, 1944 to strafe German armaments in Hungary, German anti-aircraft flak severely damaged McCreary's P-51 aircraft.[26] After bailing from his aircraft near Lake Balaton, McCreary was accosted by angry civilians until enemy German soldiers interceded and captured him, transporting him to several prison camps. McCready eventually landed at the infamous multinational German POW camp, [[Stalag Luft III], near Budapest, Hungary.[27][28] Held in captivity for 9 months, McCready was liberated on April 29, 1945 when General George Patton captured Stalag III, freeing all POWs.[29][30]

After World War II, the U.S. Army Air Corps transferred McCreary to Lockbourne AFB (now Rickenbacker AFB in Columbus, Ohio.[31]

In 1963, McCreary retired from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[32]

Post-Military

After leaving the U.S. military, McCreary worked as the Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Finance and Administrative Services, retiring in 1983 after 20 years.[33] He also served as a volunteer bookkeeper for his local Columbus, Ohio YMCA, retiring at the age of 80.[34]

After his wife Dorothy passed away in 1997, McCreary relocated to Burke, Virginia in Northern Virginia to live with his daughter.[35]

Honors

Death

On December 20, 2015, McCreary died from heart failure in Columbus, Ohio.[40] He was 97 years and one of the last living members of the Tuskegee Airmen.[41] McCreary was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin County.[42]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster". CAF Rise Above. CAF Rise Above. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  2. ^ EAST COAST CHAPTER TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, INC. "LONELY EAGLE BIOGRAPHIES: Walter L. McCreary." https://ecctai.wildapricot.org/lonely-eagle-biographies
  3. ^ EAST COAST CHAPTER TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, INC. "LONELY EAGLE BIOGRAPHIES: Walter L. McCreary." https://ecctai.wildapricot.org/lonely-eagle-biographies
  4. ^ Associated Press (AP). "Tuskegee Airmen Get Congressional Medal." DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer Thu Mar 29, 5:13 PM ET https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/TuskegeeAirmenCGMCeremony.pdf
  5. ^ Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html
  6. ^ CBS News. "Tuskegee Airmen Finally Get Their Due." MARCH 29, 2007 / 1:57 PM / CBS/AP. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tuskegee-airmen-finally-get-their-due/
  7. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  8. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  9. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  10. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  11. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  12. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  13. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  14. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  15. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  16. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  17. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  18. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  21. ^ EAST COAST CHAPTER TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, INC. "LONELY EAGLE BIOGRAPHIES: Walter L. McCreary." https://ecctai.wildapricot.org/lonely-eagle-biographies
  22. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  23. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  24. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  25. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  26. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  27. ^ EAST COAST CHAPTER TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, INC. "LONELY EAGLE BIOGRAPHIES: Walter L. McCreary." https://ecctai.wildapricot.org/lonely-eagle-biographies
  28. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  29. ^ EAST COAST CHAPTER TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, INC. "LONELY EAGLE BIOGRAPHIES: Walter L. McCreary." https://ecctai.wildapricot.org/lonely-eagle-biographies
  30. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  31. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  32. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  33. ^ Columbus Dispatch. "Walter McCreary | 1918-2015: Tuskegee Airman served U.S. and Ohio." https://www.dispatch.com/article/20151225/NEWS/312259884
  34. ^ Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html
  35. ^ Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html
  36. ^ Legacy. "Walter Lee McCreary 1918 - 2015." https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/walter-mccreary-obituary?pid=177045990
  37. ^ Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html
  38. ^ Associated Press (AP). "Tuskegee Airmen Get Congressional Medal." DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer Thu Mar 29, 5:13 PM ET https://www.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee/files/TuskegeeAirmenCGMCeremony.pdf
  39. ^ U.S. Air Force. "Air Force Association honors Doolittle Raiders, Tuskegee Airmen." Master Sgt. Ben Gonzales , Defense Media Activity - San Antonio / Published September 17, 2009. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/119121/air-force-association-honors-doolittle-raiders-tuskegee-airmen/
  40. ^ Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html
  41. ^ Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html
  42. ^ Daily Mail - UK. "One of the last of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was a prisoner of the Germans for seven months during WWII, dies aged 97." DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER. PUBLISHED: 28 December 2015 | UPDATED: 29 December 2015. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3376741/One-Tuskegee-Airmen-dies-aged-97.html
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