212419 John E. Allen United States Army Air Force Tuskagee from:New Mexico John Allen served as a Tuskagee Airman during World War II and later earned honors for his Air Force service during the Vietnam War. He was drafted into the U.S. Army air forces right out of high school in Live Oak, FL in 1945. At 17, he was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Wing of the Tuskaegee Airmen - a group that broke racial barriers in World War II by becoming the first black aviators in the U.S. military. He did not see combat in World War II, but he later received the Air Force Commendation Medal for assisting in dearming two dozen 500-pound bombs that were dropped from the wing of a B-52 being prepared for a Vietnam War mission. In addition, he and about 300 original Tuskegee Airmen were awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.
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