Lt. Col George Hardy was one of the first Black aviators in combat.
Lt. Col. George Hardy of Sarasota, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, has died at 100.
According to the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. National Office, Lt. Col. Hardy was “the youngest Red Tail fighter pilot at 19 to fly his first combat sortie over Europe.”
Hardy passed away on Thursday.
While Hardy was the last surviving Tuskegee Airman who flew in combat, there are 13 remaining airmen who trained at Tuskegee but never saw combat, according to the president of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. National Office.
“His legacy is one of courage, resilience, tremendous skill and dogged perseverance against racism, prejudice and other evils. We are forever grateful for his sacrifice and will hold dear to his memory,” the organization wrote in a post announcing Hardy’s death. “Our condolences to his family, friends, the remaining 13 Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen, and all who loved him.”
Hardy’s history as a Tuskegee Airman
His life as one of the first Black aviators in combat has been one of service and sacrifice. He joined the military at 18 in 1943, served in three wars and flew a total of 136 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
“I flew in World War II. P-51. 21 combat missions over Europe,” Hardy said in a previous interview.
As a teen, he never considered a military career until the attack on Pearl Harbor, which happened six months before he graduated high school. However, his road to service was filled with racial obstacles.
“A lot of people don’t realize how segregated the service was then,” he explained. “In 1925, they thought that Afro-Americans couldn’t fly airplanes really. That they didn’t have the ability to concentrate and do things like that.”
Hardy was referring to the Army War College’s 1925 “Negro Manpower in War” report, which said things like, “the cranial activity of the negro is smaller than the white,” and that “he cannot control himself in the face of danger to the extent the white man can.”
“We disproved that theory. In fact, we did a hell of a good job, I thought,” he recalled.
It was a dual job for the Tuskegee Airmen. Historians and the airmen themselves say they fought two wars: “fascism abroad and racism at home.”
“The thing is, it’s our country too, so we’ve got to work for our country no matter what the situation,” Hardy said.
Hardy had remained active through his 90s, volunteering in food pantries and speaking to groups across the nation about the history of the Tuskegee Airmen.
He credited broad thinking and staying active for his longevity.
“I think you got to keep your mind open to accept new ideas, find out what’s happening in life, and keep going. Don’t just sit back and figure my life is over. No, it’s not over,” Hardy said.
Hardy’s hope was that more people would take time to learn the history of the Tuskegee Airmen so the lessons wouldn’t be lost.
“There’s so many people who still don’t know about Tuskegee Afro-Americans,” he said.
“Servicemen gave their all in the service of this country,” Hardy added. “Many of them didn’t come back. And we should pay tribute to them.”
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