Ken Stallings
February 5th, 2010, 10:46
Lee Archer has passed away today.
http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2010/100205leearcher.html
This makes me very sad on multiple levels. First, we have again lost a hero from the Greatest Generation of our times. Second, this loss in particular is acute because Lt Col (ret.) Archer defined something that transcended wartime heroism. He helped usher in a renewed dedication to reaffirm our national creed through equal rights for all citizens.
So much can be said for this man. I wrote the Air Force Association years back asking them to correct the record and award Lt Col Archer credit for his fifth victory, which was taken away after the fact by actions many of the Tuskegee Airmen considered racially based. The AFA said they needed to speak with people of the period. I wrote the Tuskegee Association but I never heard back from them.
I had hoped this correction could have been accomplished prior to his death, but that chance has been lost.
Ken
http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2010/100205leearcher.html
This makes me very sad on multiple levels. First, we have again lost a hero from the Greatest Generation of our times. Second, this loss in particular is acute because Lt Col (ret.) Archer defined something that transcended wartime heroism. He helped usher in a renewed dedication to reaffirm our national creed through equal rights for all citizens.
So much can be said for this man. I wrote the Air Force Association years back asking them to correct the record and award Lt Col Archer credit for his fifth victory, which was taken away after the fact by actions many of the Tuskegee Airmen considered racially based. The AFA said they needed to speak with people of the period. I wrote the Tuskegee Association but I never heard back from them.
I had hoped this correction could have been accomplished prior to his death, but that chance has been lost.
Ken