Joseph P. Gomer
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Status: Featured Story
Photo 1: Mr. Gomer during World War II.
Photo 2: Article from the Duluth News Tribune, February 18, 2010. Mr. Gomer was the first speaker of the "History in a Pint" series, sponsored by Veterans' Memorial Hall. He spoke before a standing-room-only crowd.
Photo 3: Article from the Hillsider, March 2010.
Mr. Gomer served in World War II. He served in North Africa, Italy, and Germany.
Mr. Gomer served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was one of the Tuskegee Airmen. He began training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in July 1942, and in May 1943 he received his wings. He was assigned to the segregated 332nd Fighter Group in Italy and joined the 301st Fighter Squadron. The Tuskegee Airmen pilots were known as the "Red Tail Angels" because of the distinctive markings on the tales of their airplanes. Their mission was to escort bombers as they made raids on German positions. Many of the white pilots they protected did not know that their defenders were African Americans. Mr. Gomer competed 68 successful missions during the war.
After the war, Mr. Gomer stayed in the U.S. Air Force. He was still serving there when President Harry Truman desegregated the U.S. military. When he retired, his rank was Major.
In 2000, Mr. Gomer was recognized by the NAACP. He was selected as a "history maker" by the HistoryMakers Project (Chicago) in 2002. A native of Iowa Falls, Iowa, he was inducted into the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004. Finally, in 2007, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor that the U.S. Congress can bestow.
Mr. Gomer was born in Iowa Falls on June 20, 1920, and graduated from Iowa Falls High School in 1938. He now lives in Duluth, Minnesota.
Sources: "Us Neighbors," Duluth News-Tribune, November 5, 1997; "Local News," Duluth News Tribune, March 10, 2007; www.thehistorymakers.com.
For additional information on Mr. Gomer's history, please visit "Honor Thy Father: A Tuskegee Airman" at www.josephgomer.com/ and "Joseph Gomer Biography" at www.thehistorymakers.com.
