[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 195 (Wednesday, November 19, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H4810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TUSKEGEE AIRMEN MOMENT OF SILENCE

  (Mr. FIGURES asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I rise with the Alabama delegation, 
including one of our U.S. Senators and many others here on the House 
floor, to pay respect to the end of an era. One of the most improbable, 
inspiring, and truly remarkable chapters in American history quietly 
closed during our most recent break.
  Lieutenant Colonel George Hardy, a veteran of Vietnam, Korea, and 
World War II, passed away.
  This is not a name most of us know in isolation, but we all know the 
story of the Black men who were trained as pilots on airfields in the 
backwoods of Macon County, Alabama, who would go on to become what the 
world knows today as the Tuskegee Airmen.
  Lieutenant Colonel George Hardy was the last surviving Tuskegee 
Airman who flew combat missions in World War II. He was born in 
Philadelphia at a time when the military was not integrated, but by the 
age of 19, he was flying combat missions over the skies of Europe, 
defending and liberating rights and freedoms abroad that we all know 
that he did not enjoy even back at home.
  Despite that, Lieutenant Colonel Hardy kept the mission first, front 
and center. With the other Tuskegee Airmen, they exceeded expectations, 
and they left behind a spectacular record of service and 
accomplishment. Though these men took off as the unlikeliest of 
American heroes, they landed as what is possibly the greatest, most 
well-known, most well-decorated fighting force in this Nation's 
history.
  As a young man now that has the privilege to represent Tuskegee, it 
is my honor, my obligation, and my duty to stand on this House floor 
and acknowledge the life and the legacy of Lieutenant Colonel George 
Hardy and the Tuskegee Airmen and all of those who have served this 
Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague from Alabama (Mr. Palmer).
  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we acknowledge the passing of the 
last of the Tuskegee Airmen. I will share a little bit about them.
  They trained on Moton Field and on Tuskegee Army Air Field in 
Tuskegee, Alabama, and later formed units like the 99th Fighter 
Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group. They were under the command of 
Colonel Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr., who was born right here in 
Washington, D.C.
  When the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group painted the tails of their 
P-47s red, the nickname ``Red Tails'' was coined. The red markings that 
distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of 
their P-51s.
  Some of the bomber crews who flew some of the most dangerous missions 
during World War II called them the ``Red Tail Angels.''
  In combat during the war, they flew over 15,000 sorties, escorting 
bombers and engaging enemy fighters.
  They received numerous accolades for their service, including 3 
Distinguished Unit Citations, 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 
Bronze Stars, 744 Air Medals, at least 60 Purple Hearts, and one Silver 
Star.
  Colonel Davis went on to become the first African-American brigadier 
general in the United States Air Force.
  It is totally appropriate that we recognize the incredible 
accomplishments, with all of the opposition that they faced, that the 
Tuskegee Airmen achieved in the defense of our liberty.
  The SPEAKER. The Chair asks all those present in the Chamber, as well 
as Members and staff throughout the Capitol, to please rise for a 
moment of silence.

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