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Luther
H. Smith is a retired U.S. Air Force captain who
flew 133 combat missions in World War II. A native of Des
Moines, IA, Smith is an original member of the famed Tuskegee
Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were among the first Black fighter
pilots to complete air combat training at Tuskegee Army Air
Field in Alabama. It was there, in 1943, that the all Black
99 th Pursuit Squadron was formed, breaking the Army Air
Corps long prohibition on Black pilots.
Smith flew 133 missions and is credited with destroying two
German enemy aircraft in aerial combat and 10 German aircraft
in ground strafing missions. He was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross, Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple
Heart, eight European and Mediterranean Theaters Campaign Ribbons,
and the Prisoner of War Medal after being permanently injured
on his final combat mission over Yugoslavia in October of 1944.
He parachuted while unconscious from his burning P-51 Mustang
aircraft and was held as a prisoner for seven months until
the war ended.
After earning his B.S. degree at The University of Iowa,
Smith worked for General Electric’s Missile and Space
Operations in Philadelphia as an Aerospace Engineer until his
retirement in 1988. He resides in Villanova, PA.
Smith holds two U.S. patents, has published numerous technical
documents and publications, and has worked on special assignments
with the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and U.S. Navy Submarine Command.
He has been recognized by the Society of Automotive Engineers,
Aerospace International and is a recipient of the Franklin
W. Kolk Aerospace Industry Award.
He served on the Architect-Engineer Evaluation Jury that
chose the design for the World War II Memorial, and has worked
tirelessly to gain recognition for the contributions of the
Tuskegee Airmen. In May 1995, he was selected by President
William Clinton as one of seven veterans to accompany him to
Europe for the 50th Anniversary of World War Two. In June 2004
, he headed the 60th anniversary celebration of the Tuskegee
Airmen’s greatest World War II achievement, escorting
American heavy strategic bombers on 200 missions throughout
Europe with the loss of a single bomber to enemy aircraft.
Moreover, Smith has contributed significantly to the achievement
of racial equality in the U.S. and the world and helped change
the face of the U.S. military in a remarkably short period of
time. |
