Monday, April 24, 2006

Tuskegee Airman Pompey Hawkins Dies at 91

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060424-111138-7239r

Pompey Hawkins, one of the members of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, died in Indianapolis at age 91.

Hawkins died Sunday at the Veterans Affairs Hospital with his family by his side, a hospital spokeswoman told the Indianapolis Star.

Hawkins, a longtime resident of the city, trained as a fighter pilot and worked as an administrator for the famed Tuskegee Airmen's 99th Pursuit Squadron, the Army's first all-black combat pilot corps that saw action in Europe, the report said.

Hawkins was court-martialed for leading a 400-man black detachment to protest discrimination in the military but was acquitted after successfully proving their charges, the report said.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Margaret; a son, a sister; a brother-in-law; and a grandson. Funeral arrangements were pending at Washington Park North Funeral Center.

Before his death, Hawkins had made plans to speak at a WHS assembly, scheduled for tomorrow, April 25. Ms. Lopez, a history teacher at WHS, announced the assembly to her class sometime before April vacation, telling how excited she was. Today, she announced Hawkins' death to her students.

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