World War II Honoree

Connie Nappier, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Eastman, Georgia

Honored By

Charles Henry Atkinson

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL IN 1943. HE WANTED TO BE PART OF THE TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT, THE PROGRAM THE AIR CORPS HAD SET UP TO TRAIN AFRICAN-AMERICAN FIGHTER PILOTS. AFTER GROUND TRAINING AT TUSKEGEE AIR FIELD, HE AND A FEW OTHER SOLDIERS WERE INFORMED THAT THEIR SERVICES WERE NEEDED AS BOMBARDIER NAVIGATORS. HE WAS SENT TO MIDLAND, TEXAS TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT AND GROUND TRAINING. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT HE WAS GIVEN HIS WINGS AND MADE AN OFFICER, AND THE 477TH MEDIUM BOMB GROUP WAS FORMED. HE WAS A FLIGHT OFFICER IN THE 477TH, WHEN THE SOLDIERS WERE TRANSFERRED TO FREEMAN FIELD IN INDIANA. AT FREEMAN FIELD, HE WAS AMONG OFFICERS OF THE 477TH BOMB GROUP THAT WERE ARRESTED FOR DISOBEYING THE JIM CROW LAWS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED BY THE BASE'S COMMANDING OFFICER. HE WAS SENT TO THE STOCKADE AT GOODMAN FIELD IN KENTUCKY. IT WASN'T UNTIL AN ORDER WAS RECEIVED FROM PRESIDENT TRUMAN THAT THE OFFICERS WERE RELEASED. HE THEN RETURNED TO TUSKEGEE AIR FIELD TO FINISH HIS PILOT TRAINING. HE WAS PART OF THE 46D CLASS, WHICH WAS THE LAST PILOT CLASS TRAINED AT TUSKEGEE.