Retired Lt. Col. William H. Holloman, a member of the famed World War II Tuskegee Airmen and the Air Force’s first black helicopter pilot, died June 11 in Kent, Wash. He was 85. A native of St. Louis, Holloman volunteered during World War II for the all-black aviation training program at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Ala. During 1944-45, he flew the P-51 Mustang with the 99th Fighter Squadron out of Italy, escorting bombers and attacking enemy targets in Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe. He was called back to active duty during the Korean War and later served with the Army during the Vietnam War. Holloman’s name is on the list of the original Tuskegee Airmen pilot graduates compiled by Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (AFNS release) (See also Seattle Times obituary.)
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.