Herman A. Lawson | |
|---|---|
 Herman A. Lawson and his aircraft WWII era photograph | |
| Birth name | Herman Albert Lawson |
| Nickname(s) | Ace |
| Born | (1916-12-04)December 4, 1916 Fowler, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 9, 1995(1995-04-09) (aged 78) Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Army Air Forces |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 99th Pursuit Squadron, 332nd Division,Tuskegee Airmen |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | |
Herman Albert "Ace" Lawson (December 24, 1916 – May 9, 1995) was a formerSacramento, California city councilman,Fresno State University football standout, highly decoratedU.S. Army Air Force/U.S. Air Force officer, combat fighter pilot, and combat flight instructor with the332nd Fighter Group's 99th Pursuit Squadron, best known as theTuskegee Airmen or "Red Tails". He was one of 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.[1]
DuringWorld War II, Lawson earned theSilver Star, theDistinguished Service Cross, and theDistinguished Flying Cross for aerial action on October 4, 1944.[3][4]
Lawson was born on December 24, 1916, inFowler, California,Fresno County[4] He was the son of Herman Lawson (1885–1935), an Oklahoma native, and Frances Anne Walker Lawson (June 30, 1881 - April 24, 1961).
Lawson attended Marysville High School, where he garnered the nickname "Ace" as its star football player.[5]
In the late 1930s after a year in theCivilian Conservation Corp, Lawson attendedFresno State University, one of three African American students there at the time.[6] While at Fresno, Lawson became the firstAfrican American to play four years offootball there.[6][7] He also served as the Fresno Football team's official photographer. A prolific athlete, Lawson was also Fresno's collegiate Light Heavyweight Boxing champion, a letterman in Basketball, and a letterman in track and field.[5]
At Fresno, Lawson met and later married fellow student Pearl Lee Johnson Lawson, an aspiring teacher.[6][8] The Lawsons had seven children: Betty Lawson Davis, Patricia Lawson, Gloria Lawson-Riddle, Yvonne Lawson, Thomas Lawson, Tracey Lawson, and a child who died as an infant.[4]
After riding on an aircraft with a pilot friend, Lawson became interested in becoming a pilot and joining theU.S. Army Air Corps.[6] Lawson became one of the first African Americans inNorthern California to earn a Private Pilot license. He also built his own functioning gliders.[5]
While a student atFresno State University, Lawson and a group of friends attended an interview event with theU.S. Army Air Corps. After an hour's wait, anU.S. Army Air CorpsColonel and aLieutenant dismissed Lawson, telling him that the military had no interest in recruiting "night fighters," a vague but albeit stark reference to Lawson's race.[9] Undeterred, Lawson wrote a letter to Congress and a separate letter to PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt's wife, First LadyEleanor Roosevelt who had been sympathetic to African American causes.[6] After receiving anU.S. Army Air Corps flight school acceptance letter in the U.S. mails, Lawson rushed to a local train station en route to Tuskegee Army Air Field inTuskegee, Alabama, abandoning his car storing $1,000 worth of camera equipment in its trunk.[10]
Lawson became one of second group of99th Fighter Squadron replacement pilots. Lawson and several other 99th Fighter Squadron pilots were sent to Brazil in error.[5]
DuringWorld War II, Lawson earned theSilver Star, theDistinguished Service Cross, and theDistinguished Flying Cross for aerial action on October 4, 1944.[3][4] UsingP-40s,P-47s, andP-51s, Lawson flew 133 missions inWorld War II'sEuropean Theater including Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, France, Poland, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.[11] He survived two engine failures inP-40s; one of his P-40s landed him in theMediterranean. Lawson later flew another P-40 named "Ace of Pearls", and another P-51B named "Ace of Pearls", both named in honor of Lawson's wife Pearl.[10][11]
On September 22, 1944, as the99th Fighter Squadron's flight leader, Lawson and his squadron escorted 5th Bomb Wing B-17 bombers on a mission to destroy an Allach BMW Engine Works plant inMunich, Germany.[12] One of Lawson's squadron pilots, Flight OfficerLeonard R. Willette, radioed that he needed to bail from his aircraft as a result of low oil pressure. Though Lawson instructed Willette to change radio channels and head back to base, Willette, unable to bail, crashed. The Germans recovered Willette's body, returning it through the Red Cross.[13]
After his tour in Europe ended, Lawson returned to Tuskegee as a flight instructor.[11] AfterWorld War II, Lawson remained in the military, retiring after 25 years with the rank ofMajor.[4]
After leaving the military, Lawson worked 20 years for the State of California.[4][11] In 1973, Lawson was appointed to theSacramento, California City Council as District 2 Councilman, completing the remainder of then-recently deceased District 2 council member Rosenwald Robertson's term until 1975. District 2, located in the northeastern area of Sacramento, included the neighborhoods of Arden Fair, Ben Ali, Cannon Industrial Park, Del Paso Heights, Erikson Industrial Park, Glenwood Meadows, Hagginwood, Noralto, North Sacramento, Parker Homes, Robla, Strawberry Manor, Swanston Estates, Woodlake, Youngs Heights.[15][16][17]
Lawson died on May 9, 1995, inSacramento, California. He was 78. Lawson was interred at the Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes Memorial Park inSacramento, California.
