Paintings, Photos and Commentary by Stan Stokes.
In 1996, days before the Palm Springs Air Museum was to open its doors to the public, Bob Williams came to the museum introducing himself as one of the Tuskegee Airmen. He had a grand idea for a mural that would honor the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen. A couple of days later, I came to meet with him at…
After the war ended, Harry stayed in what was now the United States Army Air Force. Most of the pilots and ground crew from the 332nd, realizing that there wasn’t much opportunity outside of the USAF, had decided to stay in. They were now flying the P-47N Thunderbolt.
During one of my visits with Bob Friend, he asked if I had been introduced to Harry Stewart, Bob’s brother-in-law? I told him that I hadn’t, so he promptly called Harry and introduced us. It wasn’t long before I paid a visit to Harry in his house in Bloomfield Hills, MI. I quickly found Harry to be a delightful individual and full of life. I will tell his story in 2 parts, this is part 1.
Bob Friend was near and dear to the hearts of many of us at the Palm Springs Air Museum. He was a true gentleman and had a marvelous spirit about him. This will be just an overview of his USAF career. I will expand on his accomplishment in later episodes.
