World War II Honoree

Claude Robert Platt Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Denison, Texas

Honored By

Charles Henry Atkinson

Relationship

Vietnam Veteran

CLAUDE ROBERT PLATTE JR. BECAME A PILOT TO LITERALLY RISE ABOVE SEGREGATION. HE NOT ONLY REALIZED HIS DREAM TO FLY BUT SHARED IT WITH MORE THAN 300 BLACK PILOTS HE TRAINED AS A CIVILIAN INSTRUCTOR FOR THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN DURING WORLD WAR II. AFTER THE WAR, PLATTE BECAME THE FIRST BLACK PERSON COMMISSIONED IN THE AIR FORCE AT RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE IN SAN ANTONIO. HE ADVANCED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN AND HAD AN 18-YEAR CAREER IN THE AIR FORCE.