Raymond Cassagnol facts for kids

Raymond Cassagnol (born September 20, 1920 – died June 24, 2023) was a brave Haitian Air Force officer and flight instructor. He was one of the first Haitian Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American military pilots who fought in World War II. German pilots sometimes called them "Red Tails" or "Black Birdmen."

Cassagnol was a classmate and roommate of Daniel James Jr., who later became the first African American four-star general in the United States. Cassagnol was Haiti's first combat fighter pilot trained during World War II. He lived to be over 100 years old, becoming the last surviving Haitian Tuskegee Airman. He also wrote a book about his life called "Mémoires d’un Révolutionaire" in 2004.

Cassagnol was known for opposing former Haitian dictator François Duvalier. In May 1969, he flew a B-25 aircraft over Duvalier's National Palace in an act of protest.

Early Life and Family

Raymond Cassagnol was born on September 20, 1920, in Port au Prince, Haiti. At that time, the United States Marine Corps occupied Haiti, from 1915 to 1934.

In 1937, Cassagnol worked with his two older brothers, who were mechanics. A year later, he finished high school in Port-au-Prince. Since he couldn't afford college in Haiti, Cassagnol decided to join the Haitian military.

On December 23, 1943, Cassagnol married his childhood sweetheart, Valentine Marie Therese Cassagnol (1921–2021). They were married at the Parish of the Sacred Heart church. Valentine helped start the Girl Scouts in Haiti, where they are known as the "Guides." Raymond and Valentine were married for 77 years until she passed away in April 2021. They had five children: Mireille, Dominique, Jose, Claude, and Raymond Jr. They also had 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Military Service and the Tuskegee Airmen

In 1942, the United States gave Haiti six armed Douglas O-38E planes. These planes cost $12,000 each and were used to patrol the Caribbean Sea for Nazi German submarines. Soon after, Haiti built the Bowen Field airstrip in Port-au-Prince. Although Haiti had officers to fly these planes, they didn't have formal flight training, which led to many accidents.

In July 1942, Cassagnol saw a newspaper ad from the Haitian government looking for 40 airmen. On the selection day, 800 people and their families crowded into Port-au-Prince. Recruiters chose 42 candidates, including Cassagnol. He was almost missed, but a friend helped him get noticed. He was also chosen because he spoke four languages: French, Spanish, Creole, and English. After a short trip home to pack, Cassagnol went to Bowen Field for a three-week boot camp as a new member of the Haitian Army.

By 1943, Cassagnol became a sergeant and an aircraft mechanic in the new Haitian Air Force, called the Corps d’Aviation. This force was created by Haitian President Elie Lescot in 1942. Cassagnol often worked on Haiti's aircraft even after his regular hours. Because he was such a hard worker, he caught the attention of Dean Eshelman, the chief of Haiti's air squadron. One evening, Eshelman saw Cassagnol working late and asked him why. Cassagnol replied, "There is nothing else to do." Intrigued, Eshelman asked if he wanted to become a pilot.

The next week, the U.S. Embassy chose three Haitians for combat flight training at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama. These men were Cassagnol, Philippe Celestin, and Alix Pasquet. In February 1943, the Haitian government sent them to the United States. They flew on a Douglas DC-3 plane from Port-au-Prince, stopping in Puerto Rico, Miami, Florida, and Jacksonville, Florida. They were the first Haitians in history to train as combat fighter pilots.

After landing in Miami, Cassagnol received winter clothes, train tickets to Alabama, and a big pay raise. His pay went from $40 a month as a Haitian sergeant to $80 a month as an American sergeant.

Cassagnol was not used to Jim Crow segregation, which was common in the southern U.S. at the time. As a Haitian citizen, he tried to avoid leaving the Tuskegee Army Training Field and Tuskegee Institute campus. He didn't want to experience the unfairness of racial segregation. Despite this, Cassagnol became good friends and roommates with his aviation classmate Daniel James Jr.. James later became the first African American four-star general in the United States.

On July 28, 1943, Cassagnol graduated as part of the Single Engine Section Cadet Class SE-43-G. He earned his silver wings and was promoted to second lieutenant in the Haitian Air Force. A Tuskegee newspaper wrote an article calling Cassagnol and his two fellow Haitian pilots a "Triple threat to the Axis." Cassagnol's achievement was even announced on the radio in Haiti.

After graduating, Cassagnol returned to Haiti to serve in the new Haitian Air Force. He became the main flight instructor for Haiti's wartime pilot training program. Flying North American AT-6 Texans, Cassagnol flew over 100 hours patrolling the island of Hispanola, which includes both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He helped defend against Nazi German submarines that often entered the area. Without using radar, Cassagnol and his team successfully stopped the German submarines, forcing them to leave the area.

In 1946, a group of military leaders, including General Franck Lavaud, took over the government from President Lescot. Cassagnol resigned from the Haitian military in April 1946. However, General Lavaud at first refused his resignation. He worried that the public and Haiti's enemies might think there was a problem in the Haitian armed forces. Still, in July 1946, Cassagnol resigned again, and the military leaders accepted it, with his resignation becoming official on August 9, 1946.

Life After the Military

In 1947, Cassagnol became an entrepreneur in Haiti. He got a private commercial pilot's license and first worked as a pilot for the Dauphin Plantation, landing his plane at the Phaeton Airport. In the 1950s, Cassagnol started a sawmill and lumber construction company in Haiti's Plateau Central. As the owner, Cassagnol bought a BT-13 aircraft. After getting military permission, he built an airstrip to travel quickly between his work sites and his home in Port-au-Prince. This trip usually took only half an hour by plane, compared to 2-3 days by car.

However, some high-ranking Army officers in Port-au-Prince did not like that Cassagnol had flight permissions. They believed they should be the only ones allowed to grant such permissions. Because of this, Cassagnol sold his plane to the Aviation Corps of Haiti, where it was used to transport mail and personnel. Cassagnol then stopped using his airstrip.

During Haiti President Paul Magloire's time in office (1950 - 1956), Cassagnol disagreed with Magloire's political favoritism. In the 1957 presidential election, Cassagnol, who was not part of any political party, opposed candidate Clement Jumelle. He saw Jumelle as a continuation of Magloire’s unfair politics. Although Cassagnol first had doubts about François Duvalier's candidacy, he quickly became a strong opponent of Duvalier after Duvalier won the presidency and began to target his political rivals.

In 1961, Cassagnol met with General Rafael Leónidas Trujillo to discuss plans to oppose Duvalier. However, Cassagnol later found out that General Trujillo had told Duvalier three years earlier that he had given weapons to Cassagnol and former Haitian senator Louis Dejoie, another opponent of Duvalier. Fearing for his life, Cassagnol and his family left Haiti on October 8, 1962, seeking safety in the Dominican Republic. After arriving there, he continued his efforts against Duvalier.

In May 1969, Cassagnol flew a B-25 aircraft over Duvalier's National Palace in an act of protest.

Cassagnol and his family later moved to the United States. In 1986, after François Duvalier's son Jean-Claude Duvalier was removed from power, Cassagnol returned to Haiti after 17 years away. However, no Haitian government since his 1986 visit has officially recognized or welcomed him. In 1999, Cassagnol gave 200 acres of land he owned in Haiti to a charity.

In November 2000, at the age of 81, Cassagnol visited Tuskegee, Alabama, and Tuskegee University for the first time in 57 years.

In 2002, it was noted that Cassagnol had moved to Mobile, Alabama, after living in Orlando, Florida, for 20 years.

Raymond Cassagnol passed away in Florida on June 24, 2023, at the age of 102.

Honors

• In April 2010, Cassagnol received a replica Congressional Gold Medal from Florida U.S. Representative Suzanne Kosmas. This was at a special ceremony held in his honor. He had missed the original 2007 Tuskegee Airmen Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in Washington, DC.
• In 2009, President of the United States Barack Obama invited Cassagnol as a special guest to the U.S. Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2009.
• On October 27, 2020, the Seminole County board of commissioners in Florida honored Cassagnol with a proclamation. This document highlighted his service during World War II.
• On May 20, 2021, the New York General Assembly honored the contributions of Cassagnol and other Haitians for New York's Haitian Unity Day. This was part of their celebration of Haitian Heritage Month.

See also

• Tuskegee Airmen
• List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes
• List of Tuskegee Airmen
• Military history of African Americans
• Dogfights (TV series)
• Executive Order 9981
• The Tuskegee Airmen (movie)