97-year-old vet is in town to preserve legacy of Tuskegee Airmen

Aug. 17—When Brig. Gen. Enoch "Woody" Woodhouse II received his commission as a second lieutenant in December 1946, he was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, better known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

Even after the legendary achievements of the unit's fighter pilots during World War II, posting options were limited for the African American military units, Woodhouse said Thursday during a break at the Tuskegee Airmen National Convention in Albuquerque.

"All Black officers were assigned to the 332nd Fighter Wing," said Woodhouse, 97. The 332nd was based at the Lockbourne Army Airfield outside Columbus, Ohio, known today as the Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base.

"None of the towns wanted us," he said. Many communities were unwilling to accept 1,500 Black airmen and support personnel, he said. "So Lockbourne was the one that we finally wound up with."

The Tuskegee Airmen National Convention is meeting through Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Albuquerque. The convention is the first held in person since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jerry "Hawk" Burton, president of Tuskegee Airmen Inc.

A total of 996 pilots trained and graduated from the Tuskegee Army Airfield, Burton said. Of those, some 250 served as fighter pilots in World War II, serving in North Africa, Italy, and as heavy bomber escort fighters throughout Europe.

"We want to make sure that the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen is true and accurate," Burton said Thursday. To that end, the non-profit group offers a platform for speakers like Woodhouse.

The organization's other mission is education, with a special focus on aviation, Burton said, who served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force.

"We want to make sure that disadvantaged young people in our communities are educated and are exposed to aviation related careers," he said.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military pilots in the U.S. armed forces.

A Boston native, Woodhouse attended Yale University after completing his military service, graduating in 1952. He attended both Boston University and Yale Law School, graduating with a law degree from Boston University in 1955.

He later worked for the State Department, describing himself as the first Black courier in the diplomatic service, based in Panama. He flew out of Havana, on Jan. 1, 1959, when Fidel Castro took power.

"I can't forget it," he said. "I saw Castro waving his AK-47. It was New Year's Day and a holiday. And they were really glad to kick us out."