Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman and POW

Alexander Jefferson Timeline

xxi Alexander Jefferson Timeline November 15, 1921 Alexander Jefferson is born in Detroit, Michigan June 1938 Graduates from Detroit’s Chadsey High School September 1938 Begins Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia June 1942 Graduates from Clark College with majors in chemistry and biology and minors in mathematics and physics, and returns to Detroit September 23, 1942 Sworn into the U.S. Army Reserves September 1942 Begins graduate school at Howard University in Washington, D.C. April 13, 1943 Called to active duty to begin flight training May 2–July 1, 1943 Preflight training at Tuskegee Army Air Field July 2–September 1, 1943 Primary flight training at Tuskegee Institute September 2– Basic Flight Training at Tuskegee Army Air Field November 1, 1943 Nov. 2, 1943–Jan. 6, 1944 Advanced flight training at Tuskegee Army Air Field January 7, 1944 Graduation. Receives his wings as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps January 7–February 5, 1944 P-40 training at Tuskegee Army Air Field February 5–May 10, 1944 Training in P-39s at Selfridge Army Air Base, Detroit May 12–May 26, 1944 Training in P-39s at Walterboro Army Air Field, South Carolina May 27–June 8, 1944 En route to overseas assignment June 8–13, 1944 Oran, Algeria June 15–June 19, 1944 Naples, Italy June 20–August 12, 1944 Ramitelli Air Base in southern Italy, combat replacement pilot in the all-black 332nd Fighter Group August 12, 1944 Shot down over southern France; becomes a POW August 18–20, 1944 Oberursel, Germany, near Frankfurt August 20–23, 1944 Dulag Luft, Wetzler, Germany, for interrogation August 26, 1944 Arrives in Stalag Luft III at Sagan, Germany January 27, 1945 Evacuates Stalag Luft III February 3, 1945 Arrives in Stalag VIIA at Moosburg, Germany April 29, 1945 Liberation xxii alexander jefferson timeline June 7, 1945 Arrives in New York June 7–August 18, 1945 Leave, processing, and reassignment, Atlantic City, New Jersey August 15–January 1, 1946 Instrument and flying instructor, Tuskegee Army Air Field October 16, 1946 Marries Adella McDonald-Tucker January 16, 1947 Discharged from active duty; joins the Air Force Reserve September 1947–June 1948 Takes science education classes and earns a teaching certificate at Detroit’s Wayne State University September 1948 Begins teaching science at Duffield Elementary School in Detroit June 1953 Receives M.A. in education from Wayne State University September 1954 Moves to Pattengill Elementary School in Detroit June 1, 1960 Completes thirty hours of graduate work in education beyond his M.A. September 9, 1969 Becomes assistant principal of Detroit’s Halley Elementary School July 1, 1969 Retires from the Air Force Reserve with a rank of Lt. Colonel September 1970 Becomes assistant principal at Detroit’s Ferry Elementary School July 12, 1972 One of the organizers of the Detroit Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first such chapter in the United States July 1974–July 1996 Serves as president of the Detroit chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen 1978–present Serves as a voluntary admissions counselor for the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps June 1979 Retires from the Detroit Public Schools October 14, 1995 Enshrined in the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame at the Kalamazoo Air Museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free A model P-51 Mustang Red Tail, constructed by Alexander Jefferson. ...