Herndon Cummings (113146338)
Suggested edit: Hello, Could you please upload Maj. Cummings obit for me? Not only was he a Tuskeegee Airman but he, along with 161 of his other Tuskeegee Airmen Officers who had been sent for bomber training at Freeman Army Airbase in Seymour, Indiana in '45, staged one of the earliest civil rights protests, known as THE “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY" in April 1945. That protest along with a few other early civil rights protests in the military helped eventually push Pres. Truman to desegregate the armed forces in 1948. The Tuskeegee airmen were true heroes in so many ways. Thanks in advance! :)
**
H.M. "Don" Cummings was among the Tuskegee Airmen invited to President Barack Obama's inauguration.
H.M. "Don" Cummings' service to the Tuskegee Airmen, the country's first black military pilots, never waned after World War II.
He took pride in his service during parades and shared his experiences with students in central Ohio. He represented his fellow airmen who died before they could receive the honors long overdue from their country.
Cummings, who had been among the remaining Tuskegee Airmen invited to watch President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, died Thursday at Mount Carmel East hospital. He was 90.
"He was a trailblazer," said daughter Navita Cummings James, who lives in Tampa, Fla. "The fact that he would even be a part of this group of men who dared to think they could fly when so many people said colored men weren't smart enough to fly."
She said her father had been in the hospital for three weeks for pulmonary distress and died of complications in surgery. Funeral arrangements are pending, she said.
Family and friends said Cummings, a former president of the Ohio Memorial Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, lived a life of purpose and fought for civil rights.
He was among the 103 black Air Corps officers who were arrested for protesting the continued segregation of the officer's club at Freeman Field in Seymour, Ind., in April 1945.
"He was very proud of his part of what the Tuskegee Airmen did at Freeman Field, where these men deserved to be treated as officers and demanded the military treat them as officers," James said.
Nearly 1,000 black fighter pilots trained as a segregated unit at an air base in Tuskegee, Ala. Cummings never saw combat.
Friends say Cummings made friends easily and always had a kind word to say about people. He had a strong interest in the world and everything happening around him.
"He was very proud of his country," said longtime friend Evelyn Clark. "He felt that in spite of all the things that black people had to face in America."
He was especially proud of his family, including his two daughters and granddaughters.
James is happy her father lived long enough to see the Tuskegee Airmen honored for their service.
In 2006, he received an honorary doctorate from Tuskegee University. In 2007, he was among the Tuskegee Airmen on hand to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress.
And this year, he sat 30 yards away to watch Obama become the country's president.
"He was real pleased," said his nephew and namesake, Herndon Cummings. "He said he knew a black man would be elected president. But it was sooner than he thought."
Source: http://www.columbusdispatch.com
**
Herndon "Don" Cummings - talks about the “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY" in April 1945, his subsequent incarceration, and Pres. Truman's eventual desegregation of the armed forces:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTzGjOonsT4
Contributor: Linda (48291572)
Suggested edit: Hello, Could you please upload Maj. Cummings obit for me? Not only was he a Tuskeegee Airman but he, along with 161 of his other Tuskeegee Airmen Officers who had been sent for bomber training at Freeman Army Airbase in Seymour, Indiana in '45, staged one of the earliest civil rights protests, known as THE “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY" in April 1945. That protest along with a few other early civil rights protests in the military helped eventually push Pres. Truman to desegregate the armed forces in 1948. The Tuskeegee airmen were true heroes in so many ways. Thanks in advance! :)
**
H.M. "Don" Cummings was among the Tuskegee Airmen invited to President Barack Obama's inauguration.
H.M. "Don" Cummings' service to the Tuskegee Airmen, the country's first black military pilots, never waned after World War II.
He took pride in his service during parades and shared his experiences with students in central Ohio. He represented his fellow airmen who died before they could receive the honors long overdue from their country.
Cummings, who had been among the remaining Tuskegee Airmen invited to watch President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, died Thursday at Mount Carmel East hospital. He was 90.
"He was a trailblazer," said daughter Navita Cummings James, who lives in Tampa, Fla. "The fact that he would even be a part of this group of men who dared to think they could fly when so many people said colored men weren't smart enough to fly."
She said her father had been in the hospital for three weeks for pulmonary distress and died of complications in surgery. Funeral arrangements are pending, she said.
Family and friends said Cummings, a former president of the Ohio Memorial Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, lived a life of purpose and fought for civil rights.
He was among the 103 black Air Corps officers who were arrested for protesting the continued segregation of the officer's club at Freeman Field in Seymour, Ind., in April 1945.
"He was very proud of his part of what the Tuskegee Airmen did at Freeman Field, where these men deserved to be treated as officers and demanded the military treat them as officers," James said.
Nearly 1,000 black fighter pilots trained as a segregated unit at an air base in Tuskegee, Ala. Cummings never saw combat.
Friends say Cummings made friends easily and always had a kind word to say about people. He had a strong interest in the world and everything happening around him.
"He was very proud of his country," said longtime friend Evelyn Clark. "He felt that in spite of all the things that black people had to face in America."
He was especially proud of his family, including his two daughters and granddaughters.
James is happy her father lived long enough to see the Tuskegee Airmen honored for their service.
In 2006, he received an honorary doctorate from Tuskegee University. In 2007, he was among the Tuskegee Airmen on hand to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress.
And this year, he sat 30 yards away to watch Obama become the country's president.
"He was real pleased," said his nephew and namesake, Herndon Cummings. "He said he knew a black man would be elected president. But it was sooner than he thought."
Source: http://www.columbusdispatch.com
**
Herndon "Don" Cummings - talks about the “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY" in April 1945, his subsequent incarceration, and Pres. Truman's eventual desegregation of the armed forces:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTzGjOonsT4
Contributor: Linda (48291572)
Herndon Cummings (113146338)
Suggested edit: Hello, Could you please upload Maj. Cummings obit for me? Not only was he a Tuskeegee Airman but he, along with 161 of his other Tuskeegee Airmen Officers who had been sent for bomber training at Freeman Army Airbase in Seymour, Indiana in '45, staged one of the earliest civil rights protests, known as THE “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY" in April 1945. That protest along with a few other early civil rights protests in the military helped eventually push Pres. Truman to desegregate the armed forces in 1948. The Tuskeegee airmen were true heroes in so many ways. Thanks in advance! :)
**
H.M. "Don" Cummings was among the Tuskegee Airmen invited to President Barack Obama's inauguration.
H.M. "Don" Cummings' service to the Tuskegee Airmen, the country's first black military pilots, never waned after World War II.
He took pride in his service during parades and shared his experiences with students in central Ohio. He represented his fellow airmen who died before they could receive the honors long overdue from their country.
Cummings, who had been among the remaining Tuskegee Airmen invited to watch President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, died Thursday at Mount Carmel East hospital. He was 90.
"He was a trailblazer," said daughter Navita Cummings James, who lives in Tampa, Fla. "The fact that he would even be a part of this group of men who dared to think they could fly when so many people said colored men weren't smart enough to fly."
She said her father had been in the hospital for three weeks for pulmonary distress and died of complications in surgery. Funeral arrangements are pending, she said.
Family and friends said Cummings, a former president of the Ohio Memorial Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, lived a life of purpose and fought for civil rights.
He was among the 103 black Air Corps officers who were arrested for protesting the continued segregation of the officer's club at Freeman Field in Seymour, Ind., in April 1945.
"He was very proud of his part of what the Tuskegee Airmen did at Freeman Field, where these men deserved to be treated as officers and demanded the military treat them as officers," James said.
Nearly 1,000 black fighter pilots trained as a segregated unit at an air base in Tuskegee, Ala. Cummings never saw combat.
Friends say Cummings made friends easily and always had a kind word to say about people. He had a strong interest in the world and everything happening around him.
"He was very proud of his country," said longtime friend Evelyn Clark. "He felt that in spite of all the things that black people had to face in America."
He was especially proud of his family, including his two daughters and granddaughters.
James is happy her father lived long enough to see the Tuskegee Airmen honored for their service.
In 2006, he received an honorary doctorate from Tuskegee University. In 2007, he was among the Tuskegee Airmen on hand to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress.
And this year, he sat 30 yards away to watch Obama become the country's president.
"He was real pleased," said his nephew and namesake, Herndon Cummings. "He said he knew a black man would be elected president. But it was sooner than he thought."
Source: http://www.columbusdispatch.com
**
Herndon "Don" Cummings - talks about the “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY" in April 1945, his subsequent incarceration, and Pres. Truman's eventual desegregation of the armed forces:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTzGjOonsT4
Contributor: Linda (48291572)
Suggested edit: Hello, Could you please upload Maj. Cummings obit for me? Not only was he a Tuskeegee Airman but he, along with 161 of his other Tuskeegee Airmen Officers who had been sent for bomber training at Freeman Army Airbase in Seymour, Indiana in '45, staged one of the earliest civil rights protests, known as THE “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY" in April 1945. That protest along with a few other early civil rights protests in the military helped eventually push Pres. Truman to desegregate the armed forces in 1948. The Tuskeegee airmen were true heroes in so many ways. Thanks in advance! :)
**
H.M. "Don" Cummings was among the Tuskegee Airmen invited to President Barack Obama's inauguration.
H.M. "Don" Cummings' service to the Tuskegee Airmen, the country's first black military pilots, never waned after World War II.
He took pride in his service during parades and shared his experiences with students in central Ohio. He represented his fellow airmen who died before they could receive the honors long overdue from their country.
Cummings, who had been among the remaining Tuskegee Airmen invited to watch President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, died Thursday at Mount Carmel East hospital. He was 90.
"He was a trailblazer," said daughter Navita Cummings James, who lives in Tampa, Fla. "The fact that he would even be a part of this group of men who dared to think they could fly when so many people said colored men weren't smart enough to fly."
She said her father had been in the hospital for three weeks for pulmonary distress and died of complications in surgery. Funeral arrangements are pending, she said.
Family and friends said Cummings, a former president of the Ohio Memorial Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, lived a life of purpose and fought for civil rights.
He was among the 103 black Air Corps officers who were arrested for protesting the continued segregation of the officer's club at Freeman Field in Seymour, Ind., in April 1945.
"He was very proud of his part of what the Tuskegee Airmen did at Freeman Field, where these men deserved to be treated as officers and demanded the military treat them as officers," James said.
Nearly 1,000 black fighter pilots trained as a segregated unit at an air base in Tuskegee, Ala. Cummings never saw combat.
Friends say Cummings made friends easily and always had a kind word to say about people. He had a strong interest in the world and everything happening around him.
"He was very proud of his country," said longtime friend Evelyn Clark. "He felt that in spite of all the things that black people had to face in America."
He was especially proud of his family, including his two daughters and granddaughters.
James is happy her father lived long enough to see the Tuskegee Airmen honored for their service.
In 2006, he received an honorary doctorate from Tuskegee University. In 2007, he was among the Tuskegee Airmen on hand to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress.
And this year, he sat 30 yards away to watch Obama become the country's president.
"He was real pleased," said his nephew and namesake, Herndon Cummings. "He said he knew a black man would be elected president. But it was sooner than he thought."
Source: http://www.columbusdispatch.com
**
Herndon "Don" Cummings - talks about the “FREEMAN FIELD MUTINY" in April 1945, his subsequent incarceration, and Pres. Truman's eventual desegregation of the armed forces:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTzGjOonsT4
Contributor: Linda (48291572)
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
