Iowa Tuskegee Airman - (Thurman Spriggs)

The Tuskegee Airmen was the first African American flying unit in the U.S. military, who fought during World War II. They were trained at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama. 

This was the only training facility for Basic and Advanced Flight Training for Black pilots of the U.S. Army Air Force.

Out of the 1,000 black pilots who were trained at Tuskegee Army airfield, 12 of them came from the state of Iowa.  These 12 men were William V. Bibb, James E. Bowman, Russell L. Collins, Maurice V. Esters, Joseph P. Gomer, Robert L. Martin      George R. Miller, Clarence A. Oliphant, Robert M. Parkey, Luther H. Smith, Thurman E. Spriggs,  and Robert W. Williams        

In this episode, I talked to Bill Spriggs, The son of one of the Iowa Tuskegee airmen, “Thurman Spriggs”. We talked about his father's contribution to the state of Iowa and the nation.