Summary
2nd Lt. Alfred M. Gorham (1920–2009) (POW) was a Tuskegee Airman from Waukesha, Wisconsin.[1] He was the only Tuskegee Airman from Wisconsin, and he was a prisoner of war after his plane went down over Munich, Germany in World War II.[2][3]
Alfred M. Gorham | |
|---|---|
 2nd lieutenant Alfred Gorham in 1944 | |
| Born | 1920 Waukesha, Wisconsin |
| Died | 2009 |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1942-1946 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | 332nd Fighter Group |
| Commands held | 301st Fighter Squadron |
| Awards |
|
Military service edit
After joining the Army Air Force in 1942[5] Gorham became a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen. He graduated from the Tuskegee University February 8, 1944.[6]
He saw action over Budapest Hungary and shot down two German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Fighters on August 3, 1944.[7]
In 1945 his P-51 had engine trouble over Munich, Germany and he bailed out. He was captured and held by the Germans until the end of the war.[2][8]
Awards edit
- Purple Heart
- Prisoner of War Medal[2]
- Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Tuskegee Airmen in 2006[9]
See also edit
Personal life edit
After graduating from Waukesha High School in 1938 Gorham was accepted to Carroll College. However he took a job as a precision tool grinder. He later enlisted in the army and eventually he was accepted to the Tuskegee Airmen.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b "Alfred Gorham Missing, Report". Waukesha Daily Freeman. March 21, 1945. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Olympian, Doctor, Tuskegee Airman Being Inducted to Wall of Fame at Waukesha South". Patch Media. August 28, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ "List of Pilot Graduates". tuskegee. Tuskegee University. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
- ^ "Waukesha Co. Airport hosting RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit to honor Wisconsin's only Tuskegee Airman". TRIBUNE BROADCASTING. August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ "The Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster". redtail. CAF Red Tail Squadron. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ "CAF Red Tail Squadron®" (PDF). Redtail. The CAF Red Tail Squadron. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ Caver, Joseph; Ennels, Jerome A.; Haulman, Daniel Lee (January 1, 2011). The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939-1949. Montgomery, Alabama: NewSouth Books. p. 177. ISBN 978-1588382443.
- ^ "Public Law 109–213—APR. 11, 2006 Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen" (PDF). Congress.gov. US Library of Congress. April 11, 2006. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
Notes edit
External links edit
- Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
- Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
- Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
- Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
- Tuskegee Airmen National Museum