Lemuel R. Custis facts for kids

Lemuel Rodney Custis (born June 4, 1915 – died February 24, 2005) was an important American military officer. He was a combat fighter pilot with the U.S. Army Air Forces. He was part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen, serving in the 99th Fighter Squadron. Lemuel Custis was one of 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen pilots.

He also made history as Hartford, Connecticut's first African American police officer. Custis was one of the first five African American combat fighter pilots in the U.S. military. He shared this honor with Captain Benjamin O. Davis Jr., 2nd Lt. George S. Roberts, 2nd Lt. Charles DeBow, and 2nd Lt. Mac Ross. These five pilots received a lot of attention from the press and the Black community. Lemuel Custis was the last living member of this special group of original African American combat fighter pilots.

Early Life and Education

Lemuel Custis was born on June 4, 1915, in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He was the only child of Mary C. Goodwin Custis and Charles Custis. His father, Charles, was born to enslaved African Americans in Virginia. After the Civil War, Charles moved to Hartford, Connecticut. He worked at the insurance company Aetna. Charles started as an elevator operator and janitor. The president of Aetna, Morgan Bulkeley, was very impressed by Charles. He offered Charles a job as his personal assistant. Charles continued in this role for 30 years until he died at age 90.

Lemuel Custis went to public schools in Hartford. He graduated from high school there. In 1938, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Howard University. After college, Custis returned to Hartford. He hoped to find a job with one of the city's large insurance companies. In 1940, Lemuel Custis became the first African American police officer in Hartford, Connecticut. He worked as a beat officer.

Custis suddenly left the police department. People in Hartford's Black community wondered why. Months later, they were happy to learn the reason. The Pittsburgh Courier, a major African American newspaper, published an article. It showed Custis with the first group of Tuskegee pilot graduates.

Lemuel Custis was married to Ione Custis. She passed away in 1991.

Military Career and the Tuskegee Airmen

Lemuel Custis left the Hartford Police Department to join the U.S. Army Air Corps. On July 19, 1941, he was accepted into the first class of the Tuskegee Aviation Cadet training program. This program was held at Tuskegee Army Air Field.

On March 6, 1942, only five cadets graduated from this first class. These were Captain Benjamin O. Davis Jr., 2nd Lt. Charles DeBow Jr., 2nd Lt. Mac Ross, 2nd Lt. George S. Roberts, and Lemuel Custis. This group created America's first African American U.S. Army Air Corps pilots. Custis was the last surviving member of this historic first class of Tuskegee Airmen.

Custis served as the Squadron Operations Officer for the 99th Fighter Squadron. He flew 92 missions during World War II. These missions took place in Europe and the Mediterranean area. This included North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. On January 27, 1944, Custis and his squadron flew over the beaches during the Allied invasion of Anzio, Italy. Their goal was to help free Rome, Italy from the Axis powers. During this battle, Custis shot down an enemy German Focke-Wulf 190 aircraft. This earned him an official victory and the important Distinguished Flying Cross. In that battle, Custis's team shot down five German planes without losing any of their own.

Later, the U.S. Army Air Force sent Custis back to Tuskegee. There, he worked as an advanced flight instructor. In 1946, Custis received an honorable discharge from active duty. He retired with the rank of Major.

Life After the Military

In 1951, Lemuel Custis started studying at the University of Connecticut's School of Law. However, in 1952, he left law school. He began working for the State of Connecticut Tax Department. In 1975, he became the State's first African American chief of sales tax. He retired in 1982 as the Tax Department's Chief Examiner. He had worked there for 30 years.

In 1995, Custis served as a film consultant for HBO's movie called The Tuskegee Airmen. He was also a member of the Board of Directors for the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. He also advised the Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Association. In 1996, Custis attended the 25th Annual National Convention of Tuskegee Airmen in Seattle, Washington.

Honors and Recognition

In 2001, Central Connecticut State University gave Lemuel Custis an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities. This was to recognize his important contributions.

Death

Lemuel Custis passed away on February 24, 2005. He died at the Brookview Health Care Center in West Hartford, Connecticut. He was buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut.

See also

• Executive Order 9981
• List of Tuskegee Airmen
• List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes
• Military history of African Americans