Joseph Gomer (June 20, 1920 – October 10, 2013) was an American pilot who served with the
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Early life
Gomer was born in
Iowa Falls, Iowa
Iowa Falls is a city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. Iowa Falls is the home of Ellsworth Community College. It is also a regional transportation center, located along U.S. Routes 20 and 65 and the Canadian National and Union Pacific Rail ...
in 1920. He attended and graduated from
Ellsworth Community College
Ellsworth Community College is a public community college in Iowa Falls, Iowa. It was founded as Ellsworth College in 1890 by Eugene S. Ellsworth. Originally a private business academy, it later became a four-year college, a music conservator ...
.
Military service
In 1942, he enlisted in the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
and carried out over 160 special missions until 1947. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he was shot down by an enemy fighter, but he survived. By 1964, he achieved the rank of major and soon after retired. Gomer spent more than 20 years working for the US Forest Service.
Honors
In 1985, he received the Superior Services Award for his work with minorities and women. In 2004, Gomer was inducted into the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame and was also awarded with a Doctorate of Humanities from the Ellsworth College.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
awarded the Tuskegee Airmen collectively, including Gomer, with a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. He was also invited to several events by current USA president,
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
. At the
Duluth International Airport, Gomer was honored by a bronze statue built at a new terminal located in the Duluth Airport. In 2013, Iowa Falls honored Gomer with a bronze statue, located on the campus of Ellsworth Community College.
Personal life
He married Elizabeth Caperton in 1949, who died in 2012. The couple had two daughters, Tanya and Phyllis. Gomer died on October 10, 2013, of cancer.
See also
* ''
Dogfights (TV series)''
*
Executive Order 9981
*
List of Tuskegee Airmen
List of Tuskegee Airmen contains the names of the Tuskegee Airmen, who were a group of primarily African-American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. The name also applies to the navigators, bombardiers, me ...
*
Military history of African Americans
*
''The Tuskegee Airmen'' (movie)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomer, Joseph
1920 births
2013 deaths
People from Duluth, Minnesota
People from Iowa Falls, Iowa
Tuskegee Airmen
African-American aviators
21st-century African-American people