Harold Brown (Tuskegee Airman)

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Harold H. Brown (born August 19, 1924) is a retired U.S. Army Air Force officer, World War II prisoner of war (POW), and former combat fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen, "Red Tails," or among enemy German pilots, “Schwartze Vogelmenschen” ("Black Birdmen")."^[1][2] A retired community college administrator, Brown is one of the 1007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.^[3]

On March 14, 1945 during Brown's 30th mission in World War II's European Theater, Brown was shot down over enemy territory. After bailing out of his badly damaged P-51, the Germans captured Brown, imprisoning him at a prisoner of war camp south of Nuremberg, and later at Stalag Luft VII-A prisoner of war camp near Moosburg an der Isar, Germany, 30 kilometers north of Munich, Germany. On April 29, 1945, Brown and 76,000+ other POWs were liberated when troops commanded by General George Patton took the camp.^[4][2][5]

Brown is the co-author of Keep Your Airspeed Up: The Story of a Tuskegee Airman, cowritten by Brown's wife, Marsha S. Bordner.^[6]

Brown — along with every member of the Tuskegee Airmen — received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.^[7]

Early life[]

Brown was born August 19, 1924 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[1][2][8] His parents were originally from Talladega, Alabama, but moved to Minnesota to escape Jim Crow segregation, vitriolic racial violence and white supremacy that ravaged the Southern United States during the early 20th century.^[9]

Inspired by his 6th grade dreams of becoming a pilot, the then-16 year old high school junior Brown spent $35 in savings to take flight lessons at Wold-Chamberlain Field in 1941.^[1][10] Though his mother was angry for his expenditure, Brown's father defended Brown's decision as a prudent decision made of Brown's own volition. Though the neighborhood kids would tease and call him "Lindbergh,” Brown would come to appreciate the role his early flight lessons played in earning him an opportunity to become a World War II combat pilot.^[11]

World War II[]

After graduating from North High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Brown applied for admittance into U.S. military flight school. Though he passed the U.S. Army Air Corps' mental exam prerequisite, Brown failed the physical weight-height proportion prerequisite: The requirement mandated a weight no less than 128.5 pounds; Brown weighed 128.25 pounds. The attending physician advised Brown to drink an egg-filled ice cream malt "morning and night" before Brown's retest. After weighting 128.75 pounds during retest, Brown passed his physical requirement, reporting four months later to the Tuskegee Air Force Base for pilot cadet training in December of 1942.^[1]

On May 23, 1944, the 19 year old Brown graduated from Tuskegee pilot cadet training program's Class 44-E-SE, receiving his wings and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.^[1] He trained in the PT-17, BT-13 and AT-6 aircraft.^[10] After completing 90-day combat and fighter training at Walterboro Army Air Field in Walterboro, South Carolina, Brown was assigned to the all-African American 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group, best known as the "Tuskegee Airmen" or "Red Tails.^[1] He would fly P-51 Mustang fighters in Italy and Western Europe.^[6] Brown flew combat missions in the P-47N Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning and the P-51 Mustang, C and D.^[10]

On December 9, 1944 during Brown's 12th mission, Brown’s aircraft was struck by heavy anti-aircraft artillery after Brown and his wingman chased an enemy German ME 262 twin-engine jet over enemy positions. Severely losing fuel, Brown navigated his damaged aircraft into friendly territory, crash landing onto an abandoned air strip. He returned to his base six days later.^[1]

On March 14, 1945 during Brown's 30th mission, a 20 year-old Brown was shot down over snow-covered, German military-controlled territory. After bailing out of his badly damaged [P-51]] Mustang, Brown was captured in the same city where he just destroyed a train with his aircraft guns. As his captives marched Brown to a crowd of angry villagers who were already making a noose to kill him, Brown assumed the worst.^[12] “I was looking death right in the face,” he said. “They had even selected what looked like the perfect hanging tree—I just accepted the fact, ‘Harold you are going to die’, and that is not an easy thing.” Fortunately, a German constable screamed to the mob, wielding a gun and demanding that Brown be treated as a prisoner of war, sparring Brown from being summarily executed.^[4][6] The constable barricaded himself and Brown in a building until the mob eventually dispersed. Brown was eventually transferred to German military authorities.

Later, Brown would learn of the tragic fate of fellow Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot Walter Manning who was captured, beaten, and lynched by a local mob after the Germans shot down his aircraft near a Nazi Luftwaffe Air Force base in Linz, Austria^[13]

The Germans interrogated Brown at prisoner of war (POW) camp, Nuremberg-Langwasser, south of Nuremberg, Germany. A week after arriving there, Brown encountered fellow Tuskegee Airman Lincoln Hudson (12 Mar 1916 - 26 Sep 1988) who had been severely beaten by the Germans during his interrogation, almost beyond recognition.^[12] Hudson would survive the war, eventually becoming the Senior Vice President of Advertising at Johnson Publishing, the publishers of the historic Ebony Magazine and Jet Magazine.^[14]

Brown would also reunite with fellow Tuskegee Cadet 44-E-SE classmate and 99th Fighter Squadron buddy, 2nd Lt. George J. Iles (November 6, 1918 – December 9, 2004). Iles's aircraft was shot down by antiaircraft fire over Augsburg, Germany on February 25, 1945 as he tried to fly his damaged aircraft to neutral Switzerland.^[15][16]

The Germans transferred Brown to the 86-acre, multinational Stalag VII-A (in full: Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager VII-A), the largest prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi Germany during World War II. While at Stalag VIII-A, Brown maintained a personal journal, detailing the names of cities he and fellow POWs marched to receive Red Cross packages. He also kept a list of food he intended to eat when he returned to the United States.^[17]

On April 29, 1945, General George Patton and his Third Army liberated Brown as Patton's tanks drove into Stalag VII-A, capturing it.^[4][5]

Throughout his entire ordeal as a POW in Nazi Germany, Brown was not tortured or beaten.^[1]

Korean War and after[]

After World War II, Brown was stationed at Lockbourne AFB in Columbus, Ohio as an instructor.^[10]

During the Korean War, the U.S. Air Force stationed Brown at the Far East Material Command in Tachikawa, Japan where he flew missions to Taegu, Pusan and Seoul.^[10] During one mission, Brown's F-80 experienced an explosive decompression, causing the canopy to separate along with the rudder. The incident left a two-inch gash on Brown's flight helmet. Fortunately, Brown was able to land the F-80 safely without incurring serious injuries.^[10]

After the Korean War, the U.S. Air Force assigned Brown to the Tuskegee Army Airfield as a flight instructor. He went on to earn qualifications as a Bombardier/Navigator during a 2nd stint at Lockbourne AFB.^[10] Brown later became an Electronics Instructor, supervising other instructors as the Chief of Basic Electronics.^[10]

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Brown served at Strategic Air Command, qualifying as a Boeing B-47 Stratojet Pilot.^[10]

In 1965, Brown retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after 23 years of active duty service.^[18]

Civilian career[]

In 1965, Brown attended Ohio State University, earning a bachelor's degree in Mathematics.^[10] Brown worked as an instructor at Clark Technical College, Gaston College, and as both an instructor and chairman of the electronics department at Columbus Area Technician School (later chartered as Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio).^[10] Brown also earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in vocational-technical education from Ohio State University.^[5] Brown would become Columbus State Community College's Vice President of Academic Affairs, facilitating the community college's growth from 500 students to nearly 9,000 students over the course of two decades.^[11]

Brown later founded Brown & Associates, an educational consulting firm that he ran for 26 years until age 88.^[5]

Brown lives in Port Clinton, Ohio, near Lake Erie with his wife, Marsha Bordner, retired president of Terra Community College in Fremont, Ohio.^{[citation needed]}

Honors[]

• In 2013, Heidelberg University awarded Brown an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.^[5]
• In 2017, the University of Findlay awarded Brown an honorary doctorate.^[11]
• In 2020, the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame inducted Brown into its ranks.^[19][1] The Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame also awarded Brown and his wife the "Writers of the Year" award for their book, “Keep Your Airspeed Up: The Story of a Tuskegee Airman.”^[1][19]

Book[]

Brown is the co-author of Keep Your Airspeed Up: The Story of a Tuskegee Airman, co-written by Brown's wife, Marsha S. Bordner.^[6]

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)

References[]