121 FS pilots honor Tuskegee Airman’s burial at Arlington Cemetery.

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt Gareth Buckland
  • 113th Wing Public Affairs
Pilots from the 121st Fighter Squadron honored retired Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers Jr., a famed Tuskegee Airman from the 332nd Fighter Squadron, today during his burial at Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

"This is a great honor," said Maj. Freddie Robinson, 121 FS F-16 pilot. "It means everything to me and to every African American pilot to appreciate what they went through so we can fly an F-16 today."

Major Robinson led the four-jet team over Arlington Cemetery, performing the missing man movement over the family and friends during the funeral.
The Tuskegee Airmen fought against racial barriers in World War II proving that they were just as qualified as their white counterparts debunking myths that they were not capable of flying in combat.

The funeral coincided with the release of the movie "Red Tails" which chronicles the lives and actions of the original Tuskegee Airman during World War II.

Colonel Weather was one of the first African American aviators in the armed forces and flew the P-51 Mustang and P-39 Airacobra from 1942 to 1945. He is remembered for shooting down two Messerschmitt 109s in Italy while escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator bomber in 1944, which earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions. Later, in March 2007, President George W. Bush presented Colonel Weathers and 300 original Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Gold Medal.

"The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated heroes who gave so much for this country," said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Johnson, the 113th Wing commander. "It is an honor to perform a flyover for this brave American."

"He was very proud of being a part of the [Tuskegee Airmen,]" said Colonel Weather's wife, Jacqueline Moore-Weathers. "He was very proud of the accomplishments they were able to make. After the war, he went about his life trying to create and participate in Tuskegee Airmen activities.

Colonel Weathers died Oct. 15, 2011 in Tucson, Ariz., of pneumonia at the age of 90. He leaves behind his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a host of family members and friends.

Pilots from the 121st Fighter Squadron honored retired Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers Jr., a famed Tuskegee Airman from the 332nd Fighter Squadron, today during his burial at Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

"This is a great honor," said Maj. Freddie Robinson, 121 FS F-16 pilot. "It means everything to me and to every African American pilot to appreciate what they went through so we can fly an F-16 today."

Major Robinson led the four-jet team over Arlington Cemetery, performing the missing man movement over the family and friends during the funeral.

The Tuskegee Airmen fought against racial barriers in World War II proving that they were just as qualified as their white counterparts debunking myths that they were not capable of flying in combat.

The funeral coincided with the release of the movie "Red Tails" which chronicles the lives and actions of the original Tuskegee Airman during World War II.

Colonel Weather was one of the first African American aviators in the armed forces and flew the P-51 Mustang and P-39 Airacobra from 1942 to 1945. He is remembered for shooting down two Messerschmitt 109s in Italy while escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator bomber in 1944, which earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions. Later, in March 2007, President George W. Bush presented Colonel Weathers and 300 original Tuskegee Airmen with the Congressional Gold Medal.

"The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated heroes who gave so much for this country," said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Johnson, the 113th Wing commander. "It is an honor to perform a flyover for this brave American."

"He was very proud of being a part of the [Tuskegee Airmen,]" said Colonel Weather's wife, Jacqueline Moore-Weathers. "He was very proud of the accomplishments they were able to make. After the war, he went about his life trying to create and participate in Tuskegee Airmen activities.
Colonel Weathers died Oct. 15, 2011 in Tucson, Ariz., of pneumonia at the age of 90. He leaves behind his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a host of family members and friends.