LYNCHBURG, Va. – A group of pilots flew over a Lynchburg neighborhood Saturday to honor a Tuskegee Airman who died the week before.
Alfred Farrar would have turned 100 on Saturday. He passed away on Dec. 17.
Northern Virginia pilot Andrew Crider arranged for more than a dozen pilots to depart Lynchburg Regional Airport and fly directly over Farrar’s old home on Bedford Avenue. Some of the pilots came from as far away as North Carolina.
“This matters,” said Crider. “Taking part in this tribute to his legacy, I couldn’t be more excited.”
Several of the pilots, including Lou Feldvary, flew the same T-6 aircraft from World War II that Farrar would have used during his service. Feldvary believes it’s important to pay respect to the surviving Tuskegee Airmen while they are still here.
“There are very few World War II veterans alive now,” Feldvary said. “We keep their memories alive by doing this.”
Crider said he’s proud he could celebrate Farrar’s trailblazing life by taking to the sky.
“It’s an incredible honor to pay tribute to a hero and a patriot this way,” Crider said. “Alfred Farrar, he’s a hero to our country.”
This is the second memorial event for Farrar in Lynchburg, following an event in his honor at Monument Terrace which featured his son, Roy.