![]() He’d later become Whitfield’s mentor, bringing him into the running program at Ohio State University.ĭuring World War II, Whitfield took on a new mission, joining the 477 th Bombardment Group of the Tuskegee Airmen. ![]() Whitfield’s sister owned the historic Clark Hotel in Los Angeles, where the young man worked as a shoeshine and had the chance to meet another famous Black runner, Jesse Owens. He was enraptured by track and field, especially Eddie Tolan, an African-American sprinter who won two gold medals that year. military in 1948, and played a role in the larger civil rights movement and fight against social injustice in the decades that followed.Īs a boy in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, Mal Whitfield snuck into the L.A. The incident at Freeman Field led the way toward integration of the U.S. Returning to Los Angeles, Terry entered Southwestern Law School and earned a law degree in 1949, landing a role as an investigator with the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.įinally, in 1995, Terry received an official pardon from the Army for his conviction at Freeman Field, 50 years after he had challenged racist segregation on an Army base. He was fined $150, reduced in rank and dishonorably discharged from the Army in late 1945. As a result, 101 Black officers were ultimately arrested, with Terry being the lone Airman convicted for “jostling” a white officer while entering the club. Unwilling to accept such an unjust rule, Terry and dozens of other Black officers decided to enact a form of civil disobedience by forgoing orders and entering the white instructors club on April 5, 1945. White officers were classified as instructors, while Black officers were classified as trainees. In an effort to maintain a de facto segregated base, two officers’ clubs were established at Freeman Field – one for officer instructors, and one for officer trainees. There, he earned his silver pilot’s wings in 1945, becoming a second lieutenant.Īfter Terry and his 477 th Bombardment Group were transferred to Freeman Field in Indiana, the aspiring pilot became one of the most visible participants in an incident that would spark social change in the military and, ultimately, the nation at large. Earning an athletic scholarship to UCLA, he graduated from the university at age 19, and joined the Army to train at the Tuskegee Airfield in Alabama. Roger “Bill” Terry was born in Los Angeles, California.
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