Charles W. Dryden | |
|---|---|
 Charles Dryden (seated) aboard USSSan Antonio (May 2006) | |
| Nickname | "A-TRAIN" |
| Born | (1920-09-16)September 16, 1920 New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 24, 2008(2008-06-24) (aged 87)[1] Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame inductee |
| Spouse | Marymal Morgan Dryden |
| Children | Charles a.k.a. Thumper Dryden, Keith Dryden, Eric Dryden, George Bingham, Kenneth Bingham, Tony Bingham, Cornelia-Rose White |
Charles Walter Dryden (September 16, 1920 – June 24, 2008) was aU.S. Army Air Force officer and one of the original combat fighter pilots with the332nd Fighter Group's99th Fighter Squadron, a component of theTuskegee Airmen.[2] Among theUnited States' first eight African American combat fighter pilots, Dryden is notable as a member of the Tuskegee Advance Flying School (TAFS)'s Class Number SE-42-C, the program's 2nd-ever aviation cadet program.[2][3]
Dryden was one of the first African American U.S. military pilots to engage in aerial combat against an enemy combatant, sharing this honor with99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks,Willie Ashley, Lee Rayford, Leon C. Roberts andSpann Watson.[4]
He is the author of the autobiography,A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman.[5]
Dryden was born on September 16, 1920, inNew York City.[6] He was the son of Violet Adina Buckley Dryden and Charles Levy Tucker Dryden, both educators and immigrants fromJamaica who taught college on the island.[7][6][8] His father served as asergeant in the Jamaican military duringWorld War I.[8]
Dryden attended the predominantly white Stitt Junior High School where he served as Class President.[7] He also attendedPeter Stuyvesant High School, graduating in 1938.[6][7]
Dryden was married twice, with three sons from his first marriage and was survived by his wife of over 30 years, Marymal Morgan Dryden, married by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays of Atlanta, Ga. They shared three stepsons and a stepdaughter with 2nd wife Marymal Morgan Dryden.[6]
In August 1941, theU.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) admitted Dryden to its aviation cadet training at the Tuskegee Army Flying School inTuskegee, Alabama.[6] On April 29, 1942, graduated from the Tuskegee Advance Flying School (TAFS)'s Class Number SE-42-C - Single Engine Section, earning his silver wings and commission as a2nd Lieutenant.[6] He and fellow graduates, 2nd Lt Sidney P. Brooks and 2nd LtClarence C. Jamison, became the first eight African American combat fighter pilots in history.[3] He was then assigned to the99th Fighter Squadron, later attached to the332nd Fighter Group. He earned his nickname "A-Train" from band leaderDuke Ellington famous tune and Dryden's roots in New York City.[8] He named hisP-40 Tomahawk aircraft, "A-Train.[9]
DuringWorld War II, Dryden and his squadron flew numerous combat patrol and bomber escort missions inNorth Africa and theMediterranean Theater including Italy and Sicily.[6] On June 9, 1943, he led a flight of six pilots engaging enemy fighter aircraft in aerial combat over Pantelleria, Sicily. It was the first time in aviation history that black American pilots of the U.S. Army Air Corps engaged aircraft in combat.[6]
After he was transferred him back to the United States inWalterboro, South Carolina, Dryden and numerous other African American officers were angered when they saw German prisoners-of-war with greater freedom and access on the racially-segregated base than African-American military members. After performing a low-level flight maneuver over the base in protest, the USAAC court-martialed him.[7][10]
After World War II, he became a professor of Air Science atHoward University.[11][6] During his 21 years in the U.S. military, he served in Korea as a reconnaissance pilot, Japan, Germany and several bases in theUnited States.[9][7]
In 1962, he retired from theU.S. Air Force with the rank oflieutenant colonel.[8] He logged over 4000 military flight hours during hisU.S. Air Force career.[6][8]
In 1955, he earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in political science fromHofstra University. He also earned a master's of arts degree in public law and government fromColumbia University.[6]
He served as a director of the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame which inducted him in 1998.[6]
In 1997, he authored his autobiographical book, "A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman."
Dryden died of natural causes on June 24, 2008, inAtlanta, Georgia, at the age of 87.[13][9] Former Atlanta mayor and U.S. ambassadorAndrew Young delivered Dryden's eulogy. Dryden was interred atArlington National Cemetery, Section 59, Site 3370, inArlington, Virginia,Arlington County, Virginia.
Media related toCharles W. Dryden at Wikimedia Commons
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