[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 21, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5687-H5688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FLIGHT OFFICER ROSCOE PERKINS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Kilmer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of Flight Officer Roscoe Perkins, a distinguished aviation pioneer who 
helped pave the way for racial integration in the United States Armed 
Forces and whose service has inspired generations of aviators.
  Flight Officer Roscoe Perkins served our country in World War II as a 
military pilot and was one of the first Black-American pilots to serve 
in the United States Armed Forces.
  Flight Officer Perkins was among the nearly 1,000 men, referred to as 
the Tuskegee Airmen, who trained at the United States Army Air Corps' 
Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama.
  The Tuskegee Airmen were citizens who wanted to fight for their 
country but were originally barred from doing so due to segregationist 
policies at the time. This led to the creation of the Tuskegee 
Institute to train Black Army personnel to become pilots.
  Despite facing many obstacles, the Tuskegee Airmen beat the odds. 
Even in the face of significant barriers, they showed skill and 
patriotism. They fought valiantly in World War II by flying more than 
15,000 combat sorties over Europe and North Africa.

  For his part, Roscoe Perkins logged nearly 400 hours of flight during 
his years of service between January 31, 1944, and February 10, 1946. 
He flew P-47s and B-25s for the U.S. Army Air

[[Page H5688]]

Corps in the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group.
  Congress voted in 2006 to award the Tuskegee Airmen with the 
Congressional Gold Medal, which is the most prestigious award the 
Federal Government can award to servicemembers.
  President George W. Bush presented the surviving airmen with the 
medal at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda in March of 2007. Since 
then, Congress has begun posthumously awarding medals to the families 
of deceased airmen once they are found.
  Flight Officer Perkins died in 1978. After years of effort, his 
surviving family members obtained the bronze replica of his medal in 
2017.
  Flight Officer Perkins' service to our Nation has helped break down 
countless barriers for those who have followed in his footsteps, and we 
should all be inspired by his service.
  In a time when our world was threatened by fascism, Flight Officer 
Perkins stood among the many to ward off its force.
  In a time when our world was quick to define the quality or character 
of a person based on their skin, Flight Officer Perkins' service 
demonstrated that character is about living true to your values, 
working toward the common good.
  At a time when we were fighting in the air, Flight Officer Perkins' 
service illustrated the struggle at home and the need to end 
segregationist policies.
  Following his service in the military, Flight Officer Perkins was 
unable to become a commercial airline pilot due to the color of his 
skin, so he continued his passion for flying by getting in a cockpit 
any chance he could get and by working as an aircraft mechanic.
  During his 20-year career after the military, he worked his way up 
from apprentice mechanic to crew chief and then to crew supervisor.
  Flight Officer Perkins' passion and skill for flying may have 
inspired an entire Nation, but close to home, he also inspired his 
family. All five of his children went to college and completed degrees.
  His daughter went on to be one of the first Black flight attendants 
for a major airline. His great-grandson is now an Air Force pilot and 
flies an F-15 Strike Eagle. Before retiring, his son worked as an 
electrical engineer for NASA.
  Today, Madam Speaker, we honor and celebrate Flight Officer Roscoe 
Perkins, whose service to his country and to his community is greatly 
appreciated and will long be remembered.

                          ____________________