Harry Stewart Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Stewart Jr.
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Stewart in 1944.
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| Born | July 4, 1924 Newport News, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 2, 2025 (aged 100) Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross Congressional Gold Medal |
| Spouse(s) |
Delphine Stewart
(died 2015) |
| Children | 1 |
Harry Thaddeus Stewart Jr. (July 4, 1924 – February 2, 2025) was a brave American fighter pilot. He was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross award.
Stewart was part of the 332nd Fighter Group. This group was famous as the all-African American Tuskegee Airmen. He shot down three German planes in one day during World War II.
He was one of only four Tuskegee Airmen to achieve three victories in a single day. The others were Joseph Elsberry, Clarence D. Lester, and Lee Archer.
Stewart was also on the 332nd Fighter Group team that won the first "Top Gun" competition. This was a big event for the United States Air Force in 1949. He was one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2006. In 2019, Stewart helped write a book called Soaring to Glory.
Contents
Early Life and Family Connections
Stewart was born in Newport News, Virginia, on July 4, 1924. When he was two, his family moved to Queens, New York. They lived near LaGuardia Airport.
Stewart married Delphine Alice Friend Stewart. She was the sister of another Tuskegee Airman, Robert Friend. They were married until her death in 2015. They had one daughter, Lori Collette Stewart.
Military Career Highlights
At 18, Stewart joined the United States Army Air Forces. He passed the pilot exam. On June 27, 1944, he finished pilot training. He earned his wings as part of the Tuskegee Airmen Class 44-F-SE. Stewart learned to fly planes before he learned to drive a car!
After training, Stewart joined the 332nd Fighter Group. He was part of the 302nd Fighter Squadron in Italy. He later moved to the 301st Fighter Squadron. During training, he once had a mock dogfight with a female pilot. She was a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs.
Stewart flew 43 missions to protect bombers. These missions were over Eastern Europe.
Three Victories in One Day
On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, Stewart had an amazing day. He shot down three German Focke-Wulf 190 planes. This happened during a mission to protect B-24 bombers near Linz. Because of this brave act, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
During this mission, his friend Walter Manning was shot down. Sadly, Manning was captured and later died. Years later, in 2018, the Austrian government honored Manning's memory. Stewart attended a parade for him.
Stewart is one of only four Tuskegee Airmen to get three aerial victories in one day. The others were Joseph Elsberry, Clarence D. Lester, and Lee Archer. He is also one of only nine pilots in the 332nd Fighter Group with at least three confirmed kills in World War II. These pilots include:
- Joseph Elsberry – 4 Confirmed Kills
- Edward L. Toppins – 4 Confirmed Kills
- Lee Archer – 4 Confirmed Kills
- Charles B. Hall – 3 Confirmed Kills
- Leonard M. Jackson – 3 Confirmed Kills
- Clarence D. Lester – 3 Confirmed Kills
- Wendell O. Pruitt – 3 Confirmed Kills
- Roger Romine – 3 Confirmed Kills
- Harry Stewart Jr. – 3 Confirmed Kills
1948 Plane Crash Survival
On March 25, 1948, Stewart was flying a P-47 Thunderbolt. He was on a training flight over Eastern Kentucky. His plane's engine suddenly failed at 20,000 feet during a thunderstorm. Stewart had to bail out of the plane.
When he jumped, the wind hit him hard. It fractured his left leg. He opened his parachute and landed on a tall pine tree. He was dangling two feet above the ground. Stewart cut himself down and used his scarf to stop the bleeding.
He had landed in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. This was the childhood home of country music star Loretta Lynn. A nine-year-old neighbor, Callie Daniels, saw his parachute. She thought it was a large white eagle. Callie told her father, Lafe Daniels. Lafe found Stewart injured under a rock cliff.
Lafe took Stewart to his home. Lafe's wife, Mary, cleaned and bandaged Stewart's leg. She gave him a strong drink for pain relief. Then, Lafe took Stewart to a clinic in Paintsville, Kentucky.
News of the crash spread. Many local people came to see the injured pilot. The town's mayor and police chief visited him. A reporter wrote a story, but it did not mention Stewart's race. The next day, a U.S. Air Force representative picked up Stewart. Stewart's wife did not know about the crash until he arrived home.
Years later, a local teacher named Danny Keith Blevins found Stewart. He told Stewart about a local legend. People thought a stolen bomber had crashed. Stewart found this funny because the type of bomber mentioned didn't even exist in 1948.
In 2006, the town of Van Lear, Kentucky honored Stewart. He was the parade marshal for their Homecoming Day parade. During his visit, Stewart met the family of Crystal Gayle and Loretta Lynn.
Winning the 1949 "Top Gun" Competition
In January 1949, the U.S. Air Force decided to hold an aerial weapons competition. In May 1949, Stewart joined the 332nd Fighter Group team. They competed in the first "Top Gun" competition. It was held at Las Vegas Air Force Base.
This was a tough 10-day event. It included six challenges, like aerial gunnery and dive bombing. Stewart's team led from start to finish.
His team included James H. Harvey, Captain Alva Temple, and First Lieutenant Halbert Alexander. Staff Sergeant Buford A. Johnson was their aircraft crew chief.
Stewart's team flew older planes, the F-47Ns. Yet, they won against teams with much more advanced aircraft. The results of their victory were hidden for 55 years. They were finally found in 1995. James H. Harvey said, "They knew who won, but did not want to recognize us."
Reserve Service and Retirement
In 1950, Stewart left active duty. He continued to serve in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He later retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Life After the Military
After World War II, Stewart worked as a baggage handler. He tried to become a pilot for commercial airlines. However, two airlines would not hire him because of his race. Later, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines gave him honorary Captain status.
Stewart went back to school. He earned his high school diploma. Then, he studied mechanical engineering at New York University (NYU). He graduated in 1963. While at NYU, he was president of the student council.
Stewart later became a Vice President at the ANR Pipeline Company. This company operates a large natural gas pipeline system.
In 2019, Stewart co-wrote a book. It was called Soaring to Glory: A Tuskegee Airman's Firsthand Account of World War II. He wrote it with Philip Handleman.
Harry Stewart Jr. lived in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with his daughter. He turned 100 years old on July 4, 2024. He passed away on February 2, 2025.
See also
- Dogfights (TV series)
- Executive Order 9981
- List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes
- List of Tuskegee Airmen
- Military history of African Americans
- The Tuskegee Airmen (movie)
