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

Verified

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 original Tuskegee Airman, recently received an honorary promotion to colonel.
Harvey was a pioneering African American fighter pilot, recognized as one of the first Tuskegee Airmen, the military's first Black fighter jet pilot in Korean airspace, and a winner of the 1949 Top Gunnery Meet.
His honorary promotion acknowledges his decades of military service and significant contributions to advancing civil rights by breaking barriers in the U.S. military.

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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.