(Photo courtesy of IU Archives P0025740)
CARMEL, IN, March 15, 2021 – The Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame, Inc. has been awarded a $1,000.00 grant by the First Noel Foundation, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation, in honor and memory of Charles Henry DeBow, Jr.
Colonel Charles DeBow was one of the five first black pilots to complete the Army Air Corps pilot training program in March 1942, earning silver pilot wings as the nation’s first black military pilots. He was among the first of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, flying 52 combat missions in World War II.
He was the author of “I Got Wings,” an autobiographical account of one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. After his service, Col. DeBow became a teacher and university professor in Indiana.
The Board of Directors of the Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame wishes to express its gratitude to the First Noel Foundation, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation, for its generous support and contribution.
The Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame, Inc. was established to recognize, honor, and perpetuate the memory of those special individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to aviation or aerospace in Indiana, the nation, or the world.
Additional information regarding the Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame’s mission, honored Legacy Class Members, and the Honors Banquet to be held October 1, 2021 in Carmel, Indiana, can be found at https://inahof.org.