| Major James Johnson Kelly | |
|---|---|
|
File:File:Photo of Tuskegee Airman James Johnson Kelly.jpg Major James Kelly Tuskegee Airman | |
| Born | March 29, 1928 |
| Died | December 29, 2018 (aged 90) |
| Place of birth | High Point, North Carolina |
| Place of death | San Antonio, Texas[1] |
| Buried at | Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery[2] |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | |
| Years of service | 1946–1971 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 332nd Fighter Group |
| Commands held | Squadron Commander |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Chosin Reservoir |
| Awards | Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "wikitext"). |
| Spouse(s) | Sally |
Maj. James Johnson Kelly (March 29, 1928 – December 29, 2018) was a member of the famed group of World War II-era African-Americans known as the Tuskegee Airmen.[1] He began his career in 1946 with the 99th Fighter Squadron and 332nd Fighter Group. He served in the Korean War at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, and he retired in 1971 as a Major in the Air Force and a Squadron Commander.[2]
Military service[]
Kelly qualified in The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star.[N 1]
in 1946 Kelly entered the Army Air Forces and he was assigned to the 99th Fighter Squadron and 332nd Fighter Group. Kelly started as a Technical Sergeant and eventually earned a commission at Lackland AFB in 1955, in San Antonio as a First Lieutenant. By the time he retired after 28 years in the Air Force Kelly was a Major. He qualified as an instructor for the AT-6 and T-33. He also became a Squadron Commander.[2]
In the Korean War, Kelly earned medals for evacuating wounded Marines at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.[2]
He was buried with honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery January 10, 2019.[2]
Awards[]
Personal life[]
Kelly was born in High Point North Caroline and at an early age his family moved to Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1969, he married a single mother (Sally) and became a stepfather for her daughter and son.[1][4] He held many positions in his chosen hometown, San Antonio, Texas: VC San Antonio Planning Commission, Southern ChristianLeadership Conference, Community Workers Council of San Antonio, and he was a trustee on the Our Lady of the Lake University Trustee Board.[4]
See also[]
Further reading[]
- The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939–1949[5]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Clarke, Devin (December 31, 2018). "Family honors memory of WWII Tuskegee airman who made SA home". KSAT News. https://www.ksat.com/news/2019/01/01/family-honors-memory-of-wwii-tuskegee-airman-who-made-sa-home/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Christensen, Sig (10 January 2019). "James Kelly, among San Antonio's last Tuskegee Airmen, saluted at Fort Sam burial". Hearst Communications, Inc. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/James-Kelly-among-San-Antonio-s-last-Tuskegee-13523914.php.
- ↑ "Fuerza Aérea desactiva cuatro aviones de entrenamiento y ataque T-33 – Diario Pagina Siete". http://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/2017/7/31/fuerza-aerea-desactiva-cuatro-aviones-entrenamiento-ataque-t-33-146653.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "James J. Kelly". Lewis Funeral Home. https://www.lewisfuneralhome.com/obituary/JAMES-KELLY.
- ↑ Caver, Joseph; Ennels, Jerome A.; Haulman, Daniel Lee (2011). The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939–1949. Montgomery: New South Books. p. 394. ISBN 978-1588382443. https://books.google.com/books?id=1qC51h8HrWQC&q=William+p.+Armstrong+tuskegee&pg=PA194. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
Notes[]
- ↑ The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is a subsonic American jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the U.S. Navy initially as TO-2, then TV-2, and after 1962, T-33B. The last operator of the T-33, the Bolivian Air Force, retired the type in July 2017, after 44 years of service.[2][3]
External links[]
- Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
- Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
- Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
- Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
- Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
The original article can be found at James Johnson Kelly and the edit history here.