Alix Pasquet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alix Pasquet
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| Born | November 14, 1919 Haiti |
| Died | July 29, 1958 (aged 38) Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Allegiance |  Haiti United States |
| Service/ |
Haitian Air Force United States Army Air Forces |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Alix Pasquet (born November 14, 1919 – died July 29, 1958) was a brave World War II fighter pilot. He was one of only five Haitian members of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. Besides being a pilot, he was also a talented soccer player and worked to bring political change to his home country, Haiti. He passed away in 1958 during an attempt to change the government led by President François Duvalier.
Becoming a Pilot
In 1942, the President of Haiti, Élie Lescot, started a special program for pilots. From 42 people, only three were chosen to train as pilots in Tuskegee, Alabama. Alix Pasquet was one of these three. He had already studied law and was an officer in the Haitian army.
The U.S. government needed help patrolling the Caribbean Sea during World War II. They gave Haiti six airplanes that could carry bombs. These planes could be used to find and attack German submarines in the area. In February 1943, Pasquet, along with Raymond Cassagnol and Philippe Célestin, traveled from Port-au-Prince to Alabama. They began their training at the well-known Tuskegee Flight School.
The Tuskegee Airmen were famous for their amazing record. They flew over 200 combat missions and lost very few planes. Pasquet's training was very tough and had three parts: primary, basic, and advanced. He was trained by Jimmy Plinton, Jr., who was known as one of the best trainers in the Tuskegee Air Force program. His training lasted for seven months.
The Afro-American Newspaper, a popular newspaper for African Americans at the time, wrote a story about Pasquet and his two friends in April 1943. The article noted how good they were at speaking English. Since Pasquet and his friends were from Haiti, they were not used to the unfair rules and racism common in the American South back then. They had to ride in special sections on buses and trains because of their skin color. Because of these unfair rules, they often stayed on campus. Pasquet got sick with the flu and missed a month of training. But he still finished his program in August 1943.
Working for Haiti's Future
After World War II ended, Pasquet went back to Haiti. However, in 1957, he was sent away from Haiti. This happened because he supported Louis Déjoie during a time of political trouble in May 1957. From his exile in Miami, Pasquet started a group. He wanted to bring stability back to Haiti and change the government led by François Duvalier.
In 1958, he returned to Haiti with Henri Perpignan, Phillipe Dominique, and five Americans. Their plan was to take control of the army barracks in the capital city and capture the weapons stored there. Pasquet managed to get inside the barracks by telling the guard he was an officer bringing prisoners. He quickly took control of the barracks. However, their plan was discovered when one of their group accidentally gave away their location.
Alix Pasquet was killed during this attempt to change the government. He was buried in Port-au-Prince.
Personal Life
Alix Pasquet married Denise Etheart. They had three sons: Gilbert Pasquet, Alix Pasquet Jr., and Bernard Pasquet. In 1973, his son, Alix Jr., married Michèle Bennett. She later married Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier, who was François Duvalier's son.
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Alix Pasquet
