Lt. Col. George Hardy
Lt. Col. George Hardy, original Tuskegee Airman.
It is with regret that we learned this morning that another original Tuskegee Airman, Lt. Col. George Hardy has passed away at the age of 100. I had the opportunity to photograph him during AirVenture in July of 2023 at the Jesuit House near Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Col. Harvey was the last surviving member of the original Tuskegee Airmen who flew combat missions as a single engine fighter pilot overseas during WWII. He flew 21 combat missions in WWII, 45 combat missions during the Korean War, and 70 combat missions during the Vietnam war.
HIs awards and decorations include:
- The Air Medal with 11 Oak Leaf Clusters
- The Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
- The Congressional Gold Medal
- The Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor device
- Florida Veteran Hall of Fame
- Bachelor of Science degree - Electrical Engineering
- Masters of Science degree - Systems Engineering Reliability: US Air Force Institute of Technology
- Honorary Doctorate degree of Public Service from Tuskegee University.
RIP Col. Hardy!
