Tuskegee Fighter Pilot, 100, Receives Honorary Promotion to Colonel

Retired lieutenant colonel James H. Harvey III was the military's first Black fighter jet pilot to fly in Korean airspace and the winner of the original ‘Top Gun’ competition, the Air Force said.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, November 07, 2023 at 12:37 PM ET

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U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. James H. Harvey III [Courtesy: US Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel James H. Harvey III, a 100-year-old pioneering Tuskegee Airman, was one of the first African American fighter pilots and the first Black fighter jet pilot to fly in Korean airspace.
Harvey, who also won the original Top Gunnery Meet with the 332nd Fighter Group in 1949, received an honorary promotion to colonel at a ceremony during the Air Force-Army football game.
The promotion recognizes Harvey's courage, skill, and perseverance in breaking barriers in a segregated military, with officials like Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr. crediting him for paving the way for their own careers.

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Retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel James H. Harvey III, 100, boasts many military honors to his name. Harvey was one of the first African American fighter pilots with the Tuskegee Airmen, the famous World War II military aviators who opened doors for Black pilots in the U.S.

He was the military’s first Black fighter jet pilot to fly in Korean airspace, according to the Air Force. In 1949, Harvey and his fellow 332nd Fighter Group Tuskegee Airmen were also the winners of the original Top Gunnery Meet at what was Las Vegas Air Force Base.