Rest in Peace Sir.
Posted on 09/04/2009 9:33:09 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
As a young black growing up during the Great Depression in La Grange, Texas, Vernon Hopson spent many days working in the fields and watching as airplanes buzzed the crops. He told himself that one day he was going to fly.
He read an newspaper article about the Tuskegee Airmen, then got a word of encouragement from his high school principal, who had been kicked out of flight training school just two months before his graduation because he was black. He told Hopson to pursue his dream.
That was all Hopson needed to spur him to enlist in the Army Air Forces and join the group of black pilots who flew with distinction during World War II.
"That word was very important and gave him assurance that somebody was behind him," said Hopson's wife, Norma, of Minneapolis. "Vernon was one with the spirit that said, 'I can do that.'"
For his service, he was given a Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush in 2007.
Hopson died of esophageal cancer Aug. 28 at his home in Minneapolis. He was 84.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
God speed....
Ping....
Rest in Peace Sir.
We were free because of men like Mr. Hopson. God bless you and your family.
RIP Vernon Hopson, USA
America was made by men like this.
Thanks for the nice post, Kathy.......
I met Vernon 7-8 months ago when he and another member of the TA gave a talk at my place of work. I’ve worked with his wife for many years.....
Oh.....the stories they told. Both good and bad, as you can imagine, as they fought to serve their country while fighting racism and stereotypes.
I only regret that they were only scheduled for two hours.....
God bless Mr.Hopson and his family...
Wow...what an honor to hear him speak. I can just imagine the stories.
The Tuskegee Airmen...heroes all. Our thanks to them for their service to our country.
What an honor it must have been to meet this man.
Salute to Vernon Hopson, a proud Tuskegee Airman.
They brought the house down.....
I’ll never forget that afternoon.
It was a great afternoon......
Rest in Peace, Mr. Hopson...
Thanks, BTLDo...
He was a very cool and sincere man.
We sure could use more like him, now.....
darn, isn’t that the truth!! a heck of a lot more.... those men of those times were really something and so were their folks who raised them and instilled their patriotic beliefs, work ethic and overall love of country, EVEN with all of the damn racist crap that was in front of them, that they had to face at that time. they went to war for our/their country. believe me, I am no ‘white guilt’ character but what a lot of those those men faced when they came home from defending this country was nothing short of shameful and a disgrace. I remember the ‘white only’ drinking fountains...what must these heroes have thought when they came home and still saw those, (and a myriad of other affronts)? I can’t imagine..or maybe I can, in my own way, but that is it, how the hell could I ever imagine what they felt upon their return?
Thank you....
Thank you....
Thank you.
That said, the reputation of the Tuskegee Airmen is forever tarnished by the decades old claim that they never, repeat never, lost any bombers from the flights where they flew air cover.
Just in the past few years has this falsehood be uncovered and discredited.
Now, there is an Tuskegee Airmen Association that has come into being that strong arms anyone who uses the term "Tuskegee Airmen" or anything close to it. They tell you that if you do not pay them for the use of a name nearly 70 years in the public domain, they will make your life miserable.
It is like some telling you you cannot use the term "Vietnam Vet" unless you pay a licensing fee and is very similar to the crapola the AP is trying these days.
They tried this on me and and a supplier of mine. We told them to go to hell and until my dying day, I will honor the bravery and historic nature of the Tuskegee Airmen. Yet their ethics and business practices I find smell to high heaven.
But then again, these days being a minority give you the right to be above the laws and norms we typical white people have to follow and obey.
Right on, Bender!
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