World War II Honoree

Charles Alfred Anderson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Bridgeport, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Charles Henry Atkinson

Relationship

Mentee

CIVILIAN FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. IN 1940 HE WAS HIRED BY THE TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE AS ITS CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WITH THE ASSIGNMENT TO DEVELOP A PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE SCHOOL. TUSKEGEE WAS ONE OF 6 BLACK COLLEGES PARTICIPATING IN THE CIVILIAN PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM, A SYSTEM ESTABLISHED BY THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS AUTHORITY IN 1939 TO PROVIDE A POOL OF CIVILIAN PILOTS FOR WARTIME EMERGENCY. AT THAT TIME HE WAS THE ONLY BLACK AVIATOR IN THE U.S. WHO HELD A COMMERCIAL PILOT'S LICENSE. FIRST LADY ELEANOR ROOSEVELT TOOK A SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE TUSKEGEE FLIGHT PROGRAM AND VISITED THE SCHOOL ON APRIL 19, 1941. DURING HER TOUR SHE ASKED CHIEF ANDERSON IF BLACK PEOPLE COULD REALLY FLY AIRPLANES. HE INVITED HER TO FLY WITH HIM AROUND THE FIELD TO SEE FOR HERSELF. THEIR 40 MINUTE FLIGHT TOGETHER DID MUCH TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF BLACK AVIATION, LEADING TO THE EVENTUAL CREATION OF THE 'TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT' AND THE FAMED TUSKEGEE AIRMEN OF WWII. HE WAS THAT PROGRAM'S GREATEST MENTOR. EVERY PILOT IN THE PROGRAM RECEIVED FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS AND VALUABLE LESSONS FROM 'CHIEF' ANDERSON.