[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 105 (Friday, June 21, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE LEGACY OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALEXANDER JEFFERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RASHIDA TLAIB

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 21, 2024

  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the late Lieutenant 
Colonel Alexander Jefferson, a World War II Tuskegee Airman and one of 
Michigan's most decorated pilots as we prepare to dedicate a community 
gathering space in his honor. Born in Detroit, he was the descendant of 
formerly enslaved people and would go on to become a Black trailblazer.
  One of the original Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. Army's first Black Air 
Corps, Jefferson served as a P-51 fighter pilot with the Red Tail, 
332nd Fighter Group 301st Fighter Squadron in Ramitelli, Italy. His 
unit bravely escorted bombers into action, providing critical 
protection from enemy aircraft and without losing a single plane. 
Jefferson was captured as a prisoner of war on August 12, 1944, three 
days before the invasion of Southern France, after he was shot down 
while firing at German radar stations on the coast. Presumed dead, he 
was held for more than nine months. He was liberated by U.S. Forces on 
April 29, 1945.
  Following the war, Jefferson dedicated himself to education as an 
instrument instructor in advanced flight training at the Tuskegee Army 
Air Field in Alabama, continuing the storied Air Corps' legacy of 
excellence in flight. He was discharged from active duty in 1947 and 
retired from the reserves in 1969. In his civilian life, Jefferson 
worked as an elementary school science teacher in Detroit, where he 
would retire as an assistant principal in 1979.
  He has received numerous awards and accolades for his bravery and his 
selfless service for our country, including the Purple Heart Award. He 
represented the best of Detroit. As we celebrate the dedication of the 
plaza in his honor, we offer our thanks for the service and legacy of 
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson.

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