[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 118 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL JAMES HARVEY III

  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I rise to honor LTC James Harvey III, a 
Tuskegee Airman and decorated fighter jet pilot in celebration of his 
100th birthday on July 13, 2023. Lieutenant Colonel Harvey flew as part 
of the 99th Fighter Squadron in World War II before becoming the first 
African-American U.S. Air Force pilot to fly in Korean airspace during 
the Korean war. The U.S. Army was segregated when Lieutenant Colonel 
Harvey joined in 1943, but his perseverance and heroism, both at home 
and in the skies, continue to inspire us all.
  Lieutenant Colonel Harvey excelled in high school as senior class 
president and valedictorian. Drafted in April 1943, he was initially 
assigned to the U.S. Army Air Corps as an engineer. It was there, on a 
train bound for Fort Meade, he first encountered prejudice and 
discrimination. While in the Army, he worked to carve airstrips out of 
jungle terrain before applying for cadet training. He later received 
his wings and commission in 1944 at Tuskegee Army Air Field. From 
there, Lieutenant Colonel Harvey was assigned to the 332nd Fighter 
Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, where he served as one of the original 
members of the ``Tuskegee Airmen.'' The 332nd Fighter Group was noted 
as one of the Army Air Forces' most successful and most-decorated 
escort groups and helped encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. 
Armed Forces.
  Lieutenant Colonel Harvey's skill stood out even among those 
decorated pilots. In 1949, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force arranged 
an aerial weapons competition among the best pilots in each group. In 
May of that year, Lieutenant Colonel Harvey joined his group's three-
member team to compete at the inaugural ``Top Gun'' team competition, 
which was hosted at the Las Vegas Air Force Base, now known as Nellis 
Air Force Base. Lieutenant Colonel Harvey's team led the competition 
from the beginning to the end, ultimately winning against teams flying 
far more advanced equipment.
  Lieutenant Colonel Harvey's service to the Air Force did not end 
there. He was the first African American fighter jet pilot to see 
combat in the Korean war. On October 16, 1950, he led an element of 
four F-80s in close support to a bomber mission under adverse weather 
to attack enemy troops three miles north of Yongsan, Korea. Flying at a 
low ceiling of 800 feet, Lieutenant Colonel Harvey's flight found the 
enemy encampment and immediately inflicted heavy damage. For this 
engagement, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, along with 
multiple Air Medals. His heroism on that day and on the 140 total 
missions he flew during the Korean war will never be forgotten.
  After the Korean war, he served as a flight commander, test pilot, 
assistant group operations officer, flight safety officer, and battle 
staff training officer for the Commanding General of the North American 
Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD. Lieutenant Colonel Harvey retired 
from the Air Force on May 31, 1965, joined Oscar Mayer as a corporate 
salesman, and settled down with his family of four daughters in Denver, 
where he still resides.
  Lieutenant Colonel Harvey won numerous awards during his decorated 
22-year career in the U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force. These awards 
include the WWII Victory Medal, Air Medal with 10 oakleaf clusters, 
Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the United 
Nations Service Medal. Lieutenant Colonel Harvey, along with every 
member of the Tuskegee Airmen, received the Congressional Gold Medal in 
2006.
  As Americans, we owe a debt of gratitude to Lieutenant Colonel Harvey 
for his heroism. His service to our Armed Forces, recognized by 11 
medals during his Air Force career through segregation and 
discrimination, is an inspiration for generations to come. It is in 
this spirit of gratitude that I rise today to honor Denver's own 
Lieutenant Colonel James Harvey III on his 100th birthday.

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