Original Tuskegee Airman Honored in Shelby County

One of Shelby County's military heroes and civil rights pioneers was remembered earlier today. Local media have reported that Harry E. Ford, Jr. was recognized by the Shelby County Commission, which gave Ford a posthumous honor as part of Black History Month. Mr. Ford was one of Alabama’s last two known surviving pilots of the original Tuskegee Airmen when he passed away last February at age 89.

Ford served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force and rose to the rank of Colonel. He later worked as a volunteer and technical adviser to the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham.

Below are a few resources to help you learn more about the life and times of Colonel Ford and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen:

Books in Carmichael Library

Bucholtz, Chris. 332nd Fighter Group: Tuskegee Airmen. Westminster, MD: Osprey Publishing, 2007. D790.252 332nd .B83 2007.

Scott, Lawrence P. and William M. Womack, Sr. Double V: The Civil Rights Struggle of the Tuskegee Airmen. East Lansing, Mich.: Michigan State UP, 1994. UG834.A37 S36 1994. (This title is also available in an e-book format.)

Carmichael DVD

Markowitz, Robert. The Tuskegee Airmen. New York, N.Y.: HBO Home Video, 2000. DVD PN1995 Tuskegee 2000

On the Web

• Harry E. Ford, Jr. - Ford's biography page on Bhamwiki
• "Local Tuskegee Airman Passes Away" - Shelby County Reporter piece by Chris Megginson, 2/27/09
  
• "Original Tuskegee Airman Honored in Shelby County" - ABC 33/40 write-up by Jeremy King, 2/8/10
  
• "Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site Dedicated at Moton Field" - Photos and video from Alabama Aviator, 10/17/08