Seattle area Tuskegee Airman dies at 89
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NovaSkegee:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Seattle area Tuskegee Airman dies at 89
By Zachary McDonald, Staff Writer
Bellevue Leader
Retired Lt. Col. Harrison Tull, who served in three wars, died Sunday night.
BELLEVUE, WA- Retired Lt. Col. Harrison Tull, one of Bellevue’s most famous veterans, succumbed to his battle with cancer on Sunday night at the age of 89.
Tull was born in Woodbury, N.J., on July 5, 1920. He came to Bellevue when he joined the Air Force.
Tull, one of the Tuskegee Airmen – the first black American pilots who flew in Europe during World War II while the military was still segregated – received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award that may be bestowed by the legislative branch of the U.S. government, in 2007. The medal is awarded to any individual who performs an outstanding deed or act of service to the security, prosperity and national interest of the United States. Tull served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Tull’s daughter, Dr. Janet Tull, said her father didn’t talk about his military accomplishments. She didn’t even know he was a Tuskegee Airman until a year or 2 before he received the Congressional Gold Medal.
“He never talked about it,” she said.
When he wasn’t flying planes, Tull was teaching. He taught biology at Tech High School and Northwest before getting his master’s degree and becoming a counselor for students at Monroe Junior High School in Omaha. He retired in 1990.
Tull spent the latter years of his life serving those in need. He volunteered regularly for nine years at First Baptist Church’s Backdoor Boutique, a shop where victims of domestic abuse could get clothes and food for free.
“He was a real servant,” said Bernie Wrye, who also volunteers with the Backdoor Boutique. “We’re gonna miss Harry. I don’t know how we’re going to replace him. He’s a guy that people ought to emulate.”
Janet said service was just a part of her father’s life, whether it was on the Library Board or in the Civil Service.
“I’m proud of my dad,” she said. “He was a big influence on people, helped motivate people. That was just him.”
Tull is survived by his daughter Janet; daughter Elaine and husband Cornelius Tidwell; and son Kevin. He was preceded in death by his wife, Charleyne, who passed away in 2000.
Visitation will be Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bellevue Memorial Chapel. Funeral services will be Friday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church followed by interment at Bellevue Cemetery with full military honors provided by Offutt Air Force Base.
Lt. Colonel Harrison “Harry” Tull was drafted into a segregated Army Air Corps in 1943 and was accepted to the Aviation Cadet Program at Tuskegee, Alabama. Assigned to the Aerial Bombardment School in Texas, he received his rated observer wings in 1944. During World War II, he flew with the prestigious 477th Bombardment Group in the B-25. During the Korean War, he served as a navigation instructor. Since desegregation was a new idea in the armed forces at the time, assigning an African-American officer to an air crew required a vote of acceptance by the rest of the members. Tull was accepted unanimously, and his crew was assigned to Yokota Air Base, Japan, flying Korean postwar support missions with the 98th Bombardment Wing. From 1956–1970, he served in the field of electronic warfare. Tull was assigned to the 55th Electronic Intelligence Operations Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base In Omaha, Nebraska, commanding it until his retirement in 1970.
NovaSkegee:
So many of our Tuskegee Airmen are leaving us. :(
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