ROANOKE, Va. – Only three Tuskegee Airmen are alive today, but the son of one is making sure people know about their legacy.
Gordon Smith is the son of Tuskegee Airman, Luther Smith. The pilot fought in 133 combat missions during World War II. His final mission was on Oct. 13, 1944, when he was shot down, injured and taken prisoner.
Smith passed away in 2009. Now his son is sharing his father’s stories along with other information about the infamous group.
Gordon Smith will be at the Harrison Museum of African American Culture on Jan. 6.
He’s traveled all over the country talking to people about the Tuskegee Airmen and some of the details that books and movies may have left out.
“It’s one thing to read it in a book, it’s another thing to watch it in a George Lucas…lots of graphics movie, it’s another thing to really kind of hear first-hand anecdotal stories about what they overcame,” Smith said.
Admission to Gordon Smith’s talk is free for students with an ID. For all others, there’s a suggested donation of $25. You can find more information here.