In a momentous event that brought together history and the present, 100-year-old World War II and Korean War airpower legend, Lieutenant Colonel James H. Harvey III, was awarded an honorary promotion to the rank of Colonel. Harvey, a pioneer among African American fighter pilots with the famed Tuskegee Airmen, was celebrated during the halftime of the Air Force vs. Army game on November 4, held at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
Harvey’s remarkable journey began over seven decades ago as he became one of the nation’s first African American fighter pilots. He served with distinction in the 332nd Fighter Group of the Tuskegee Airmen, who were renowned for their courage and skill despite facing numerous challenges in a segregated military.
The ceremony was a testament to Harvey’s lifelong achievements. Senator Michael Bennet initiated the honorary promotion, recognizing Harvey’s contributions to American history and civil rights. Among his many accomplishments, Harvey was celebrated as the first African American fighter jet pilot to fly in Korean airspace and the winner of the U.S. Air Force’s inaugural “Top Gun” competition.
In 1949, Harvey and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen participated in the first-ever Top Gunnery Meet at what was then Las Vegas Air Force Base, Nevada. Their impressive performance led to their victory in the competition, but for many years, the record was incorrectly listed as “unknown.” It wasn’t until 1993, when retired Colonel Harry Stewart returned to the now-Nellis Air Force Base with proof of the 332nd Fighter Group’s win, that the historical record was corrected.
Earlier in September also saw the establishment of the “Lt. Col. James Harvey III F-15 Wing Award.” General Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, introduced the award during the William Tell Competition’s ceremony dinner on September 10. The award pays homage to Harvey’s role in leading the Tuskegee Airmen to the “Best Overall Team Award” during the first-ever gunnery meet in 1949 at Nellis Air Force Base, a precursor to the William Tell Competition. “The Lt. Col. James Harvey III F-15 Wing Award” is presented to the top F-15 fighter team at the conclusion of the competition.
During the halftime ceremony in Denver, Colonel Harvey stood alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr., Senator Michael Bennet, and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, donning a new service dress uniform provided by the Air & Space Forces Association. His daughters, Alysyn Green and Kathy Harvey, and niece Karen Jackson proudly pinned the eagle rank of Colonel on his shoulders.
Brown, who became the first Black service Chief in U.S. history and only the second Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, expressed his deep appreciation for Harvey’s service and commended him for breaking barriers. “Because of his work breaking barriers, I can stand here today as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Brown said during the ceremony.
For more information, hit the Source below