Elwood T. Driver
Elwood T. Driver | |
|---|---|
 Elwood T. Driver | |
| Birth name | Elwood T. Driver |
| Nickname(s) | Woody |
| Born | August 20, 1921 Trenton, New Jersey U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 1992 (aged 70) |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
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| Years of service | 1942-1962 |
| Rank | Flight Commander |
| Unit | Tuskegee Army Air Field |
| Awards |
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| Alma mater |
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| Spouse(s) | Shirley née Martin |
| Relations | Son: Timothy |
Elwood "Woody" T. Driver (August 20, 1921 – March 26, 1992) was an American aviator who served as a Tuskegee Airman during World War II. He flew 123 missions and he is given credit for one confirmed kill. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter nominated Driver to be a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Early life[]
Driver was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and had three other siblings. While attending Trenton State College, he earned his pilot's license.[1] He graduated from college in 1942.[2] Later he attended New York University and earned an MS in safety engineering.[3]
He married Shirley Martin in 1960 and he had one son named Timothy from a previous marriage.[2]
Career[]
He signed up for the Army Air Corps in 1942. He became a Tuskegee Airman and was sent to the European Theatre of WWII where he recorded an aerial combat kill overAnzio, Italy. He retired from the Air force as a Major in 1962.[2]
In 1978 he was nominated to be a member of the National Transportation Safety Board from 1978-1980.[5] He had worked for the Safety Board beginning in 1967.[2]
Driver held a board of director position, at Howard University.[3]
Awards and honors[]
- 2006 Congressional Gold Medal, awarded to Tuskegee Airmen[6]
- Tuskegee Airman Panel Wall of Honor at the Smithsonian Institute Air and Space Museum[1]
Death[]
On May 26, 1992 passed away at his home in Reston, Virginia from liver cancer.[2]
See also[]
- Executive Order 9981
- Military history of African Americans
- List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes
- List of Tuskegee Airmen
- The Tuskegee Airmen (movie)
References[]
- ^ a b "Maj. Elwood "Woody" T. Driver, USAF". Air and Space. Smithsonian Institute Air and Space Museum. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Lambert, Bruce (April 4, 1992). "Elwood Driver, 70, Wartime Pilot and Transportation Safety Expert". New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ a b "Elwood Driver, Safety Official, Tuskegee Airman, Dies at 70". The Washington Post. 1992. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
- ^ "National Transportation Safety Board Nomination of Elwood T. Driver To Be a Member". Presidency UCSB. The American Presidency Project. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
- ^ Kruzel, John J. "President, Congress Honor Tuskegee Airmen". Army. U.S. Army. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
Notes[]
- ^ The Tuskegee Airmen became known for flying the P-51 aircraft with red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.[4]
External links[]
- Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
- Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
- Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
- Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
- 1921 births
- 1992 deaths
- Tuskegee Airmen
- Military personnel from New Jersey
- United States Army Air Forces officers
- Aviators from New Jersey
- African-American aviators
- 21st-century African-American people
- People from Trenton, New Jersey