The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN MEMORY OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALEXANDER JEFFERSON
______
HON. RASHIDA TLAIB
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Monday, July 11, 2022
Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the late Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson, a World War II Tuskegee Airman and one of Michigan's most decorated pilots as we honor his memory.
Jefferson's remarkable and heroic service figures prominently in our nation's history. He was considered to be one of the ``original'' Tuskegee Airmen, which drew heavily from Michigan and were the U.S. Army's first Black Air Corps. Jefferson served as a P-51 fighter pilot with the Red Tails, 332nd Fighter Group 301st Fighter Squadron in Ramitelli, Italy. His unit bravely escorted bombers into action, providing critical protection from enemy aircraft without losing a single plane.
Jefferson was captured as a prisoner of war on August 12, 1944, three days before the invasion of Southern France, after he was shot down while firing at German radar stations on the coast. Presumed dead, he was held for more than nine months. He was liberated by Patton's 3rd Army on April 29, 1945.
After the war, Jefferson served as an instrument instructor in advanced flight training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, continuing the storied Air Corps' legacy of excellence in flight. He was discharged from active duty in 1947 and retired from the reserves in 1969. In his civilian life, Jefferson worked as an elementary school science teacher in Detroit, where he would retire as an assistant principal in 1979. Jefferson served as a member of various church, educational, and alumni organizations, as well as being one of the founders of the Detroit Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen. He was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen Speaker Bureau, a life member of the Silver Falcon Association, and has served as an Admissions Counselor for the U.S. Air Force Academy.
He has received numerous awards and accolades for his bravery and his selfless service for our country, including the Purple Heart Award. He represented the best of Detroit. We have lost a great American patriot, a hero, and a Detroiter who should always be remembered for his service to freedom for our country. He may be gone from our sight, but never from our hearts. May his soul rest in peace.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 113(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 113(2)
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