Local Tuskegee airman dies

PORT CLINTON — A witness to history — who made history himself — passed away this week. World War II fighter pilot Harold Haywood Brown, 98, of Port Clinton, died Thursday, his wife Marsha Bordner announced on her social network page. "Early this morning, Harold Brown, the love of my life, took his final flight," she said. "With the heart of a lion, he fought bravely until he could fight no more. May he soar like an eagle in the skies and beyond." Brown, a Minneapolis native, was among the first Black combat pilots trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and served with the 332nd Fighter Group. This historic group of pilots were known as the Tuskegee Airmen. "From 1941-46, some 1,000 Black pilots were trained at Tuskegee, according to Tuskegee University, a historic Black institution. "The Airmen's success in escorting bombers during World War II — having one of the lowest loss records of all the escort fighter groups, and being in constant demand for their services by the allied bomber units." Brown frequently shared about his life experiences with audiences of all ages throughout the area, state and nation. For instance, in 2016, he recapped his historic military career to children at the Nehemiah Center in Sandusky during the youth center's summer camp. Among the stories he told: • Deciding in sixth grade he would be a pilot, despite his mother's wishes for him to be a pianist • Chasing an enemy jet at nearly 500 mph • Being captured and taken as a prisoner of war in 1945 on his 30th mission after a locomotive he destroyed during a strafing mission blew up just as his plane was flying overhead, bringing down his plane. A few months later, at the war's end, he was released by General George Patton. "I lived behind barbed wire without much food," Brown said. "The Germans didn't have much food themselves. We'd get watery soup about once a day and when we got bread, we'd take turns cutting it with homemade knives and dividing it amongst groups of seven people." Brown left the Air Force in 1965 after serving in the military for 23 years. He then earned his master's and doctoral degrees from Ohio State and taught at what would become Columbus State Community College. Brown retired in 2012 with Bordner, who is president emeritus of Terra State Community College. In 2017, a book about Brown's life, "Keep Your Airspeed Up: The Story of a Tuskegee Airman," was published by the University of Alabama Press and co-written by Bordner. In it, Brown describes his interest in flying as a young man and his service as a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot in World War II, serving as an escort for American bombers. Even though U.S. military forces weren't desegregated until three years after World War II, the sacrifices of Black service members, including the Tuskegee Airmen, helped lay ground for the civil rights breakthroughs of the 1950s and 1960s. "As famous as the Tuskegee Airmen are today, these pioneering aviators endured decades of unjust racial prejudice and mistreatment, even as war heroes returning home," according to the website for Brown's book. "These men, through their superlative service during World War II, paved the way for the desegregation of the military and for the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. "Dr. Brown's time in the education system and other life experiences serve as an example of how one can persevere in a world not friendly or accommodating to their dreams." In 2007, the Tuskegee Airmen were honored with a Congressional Gold Medal. After his military service ended, Brown has been honored numerous times. In 2021, Brown was inducted into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame; received the Ford Oval of Honor award at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus; and was featured in the four-part PBS miniseries that examines the lives of veterans throughout history. More recently, in September 2022, he was recognized during the Bowling Green State University marching band's halftime show. Brown is believed to have been one of the last living Tuskegee Airmen in recent years. _ Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood