William H. Holloman

William Hugo Holloman III (August 21, 1924 – June 12, 2010) was a U.S. Army Air Force officer, combat fighter pilot, and high-profile member of the prodigious 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen, "Red Tails", or "Schwarze Vogelmenschen" ("Black Birdmen") among enemy German pilots.

Holloman is best known as the U.S. Air Force’s first African American helicopter pilot.

Early life and family Holloman was born on August 21, 1924, in Saint Louis, Missouri. His father served as a US Postal Service employee who worked there from 1919 to 1969.

As a young child, Holloman wanted to become a pilot after Medal of Honor winner Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic Ocean in his famed Spirit of St. Louis aircraft in 1927.

Military service

Left to right: Robert W. Williams, (leather cap) William H. Holloman, III, (cloth cap) Ronald W. Reeves,(leather cap) Christopher W. Newman, (flight cap) Walter M. Downs, (Source: Photographer's notes and Tuskegee Airmen 332nd Fighter Group pilots.)

At the age of 16 in 1940, Holloman applied to train as a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force. However, the Royal Canadian Air Force required both parents of an underage applicant's permission to enlist. Though Holloman's father gave his consent, his mother denied him, citing his age.

Holloman's cousin, a master sergeant, helped bump Holloman's name to a forthcoming cadet class. He subsequently switched from the USAF to the US Army.

Post-military career Holloman attended the University of Maryland where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He also attended the University of Washington, earning a degree in history. He later became a University of Washington professor.

Death Holloman died from a heart attack on June 12, 2010, in Kent, Washington, at the age of 85. The Northwest African American Museum in Seattle, Washington, currently houses Holloman's flight jacket. He attended the 2008 museum opening and delivered a speech on the Tuskegee Airmen. In 2010, Holloman gave a rousing pep talk to the Portland State University Football Team.