Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame
Enshrined 1993
Vernon Haywood was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1938-1940 he attended Hampton University where he received his primary flight instruction in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Then in 1941, he went to Tuskegee Institute for secondary training and soon became an aviation cadet in the Army Air Force. During World War II he served 15 months as a fighter pilot in the Mediterranean Theater, flying P-39s, P-47s, and P-51s. Assigned to Williams AFB in 1949, he was one of the first four black jet flight instructors in the U.S. Air Force.
Note:
Tuskegee Airman awarded the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously in 2006.
