A global pandemic did not stop Thomas Franklin Vaughns, a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, from celebrating his 100th birthday on Sunday.
Local outlets reported that Vaughns was joined by family, friends and members of his community for a drive-by parade past his house. Video footage of the celebration can be seen here.
Vaughns was a mechanic for the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. He would go on to also serve during the Korean War, retiring as a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army before a career of continued dedication to his home state of Arkansas. The veteran was named to the state’s agriculture hall of fame earlier this year, and U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) in December paid official tribute to Vaughns’ distinguished service to our nation.
Just last summer at age 99, Vaughns was ceremoniously presented five medals he earned in both wars.
“He’s a hero in every sense of the word,” Boozman has said of Vaughns. “Not because of his military service—that’s part of it—but he’s a hero because of the way he’s lived his life.”
Vaughns is also a deacon emeritus at the church, which organized Sunday’s parade “because he is beloved by all who meet him,” according to a press release.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps, a precursor of the U.S. Air Force. They trained at Alabama’s Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama and flew more than 15,000 individual sorties in Europe and North Africa during World War II.
RELATED: Alabama legislature, Governor Kay Ivey honor Tuskegee Airmen — ‘A lasting legacy’
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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