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REMEMBERING DR. ROSCOE C. BROWN Jay T Comeaux

Remembering Dr. Roscoe C. Brown

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REMEMBERING DR.ROSCOE C. BROWN

Jay T Comeaux

ROSCOE C . BROWN ,AN INTEGRAL PART OF

UNITED STATESHISTORY HAS PASSEDAWAY AT THE AGE OF

94 .

DR. BROWN WAS AWORLD RENOWNEDFIGHTER PILOT WHOFLEW IN 68 LONGRANGE COMBAT

OPERATIONS DURINGWORLD WAR II.

DURING THE WAR HE FLEWFOR THE HISTORIC

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN , THEFIRST AFRICAN -AMERICANPILOTS IN UNITED STATESHISTORY . DR . BROWNBROKE THE RACIAL

STEREOTYPES WITH THETUSKEGEE AIRMEN ANDHELPED THEM BECOMEONE OF THE MOSTFAMOUS GROUPS IN

WORLD WAR I I HISTORY .

AS AN INTEGRAL PART OFTHE UNITED STATESEFFORTS , DR . BROWNFLEW ON THE LONGESTAIR FORCE MISSION OFWORLD WAR I I , WHEN HEFLEW FROM ITALY TO

BERLIN TO FACE DEADLYGERMAN FIGHTER JETS .THANKS TO HIS EFFORTSTHE UNITED STATESSUCCESSFULLY TOOK

DOWN THE GERMAN JETSAND RETURNED SAFELY TO

BASE .

IN AN INTERVIEWREMINISCING ABOUT HISEFFORTS , DR . BROWNONCE SAID “FIGHTERPILOTS ARE LIKE

ATHLETES . AND I WAS APRETTY GOOD PILOT . ” HE

WAS NEVER SHY TOTALKING ABOUT THE WARAS HE WAS VERY PROUDOF HIS EFFORTS AND ALLTHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED

FOR HIS COUNTRY .

OUTSIDE OF HIS HEROICWAR EFFORTS , DR . BROWNWAS AN AVID MARATHONRUNNER AND EDUCATOR .HE RETURNED HOME TOFINISH HIS PH .D AFTER

THE WAR BEFORETEACHING AT CUNY ANDNYU AND THEN SERVINGAS PRESIDENT OF BRONXCOMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR

17 YEARS .

UNFORTUNATELY , DR .BROWN FELL CRITICALLYILL DURING THESE PAST

WINTER MONTHS AND WASUNABLE TO RECOVER . HELEAVES BEHIND THIS

MESSAGE .

“MY MESSAGE TO YOUNGPEOPLE IS TO KEEP ON

WORKING , ” HECONTINUED . “YOU ’VE GOTTO BE BETTER , YOU ’VE GOT

TO BE DISCIPLINED ,YOU ’VE GOTTA BELIEVE .AND IF YOU BELIEVE YOUCAN OVERCOME , YOU CANOVERCOME . THAT ’S THESTORY OF THE TUSKEGEE

AIRMEN . ”

THE TUSKEGEE AIRMENHAVE BEEN HONORED AND

REPRESENTED IN THETUSKEGEE AIRMEN

NATIONAL MUSEUM INDETROIT , MICHIGAN .