Henry Wise Jr.

Henry Wise Jr.
Henry Wise Jr.
Birth name	Henry Anthony Wise Jr.
Born	August 3, 1920; Cheriton, Virginia, United States
Died	May 2, 2003 (aged 82); Cheverly, Maryland, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army Air Forces
Years of service	1942–1946
Rank	Second Lieutenant
Unit	99th Pursuit Squadron, 332nd Division, Tuskegee Airmen
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Purple Heart; Air Medal; Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen; Certificate of Valor for Courage; Tuskegee Airmen Pioneer Award;

Henry A. Wise Jr. (August 3, 1920 – May 2, 2003) (POW) was an American physician and World War II Tuskegee Airman fighter pilot with the 99th Pursuit Squadron, 332nd Division. He was shot down over Romania and was a prisoner of war. After the war, he became the medical director at Bowie State University.

Early life

Wise was born in Cheriton, Virginia, and he graduated from the all black private school, Virginia Union University.^[1]

Career

The Tuskegee Airmen's aircraft had distinctive markings that led to the name, "Red Tails".^{[N 1]}

From 1942 to 1946 served as a pilot in the Tuskegee Airmen.^[1] Wise's plane was shot down over Romania near the Ploesti oilfields. He spent three months as a prisoner of war.^[3]

In 1955 Wise left his family practice to work as a physician at Prince George's Hospital Center. At that time Wise was the only African American physician. He went on to become the medical director at Bowie State University^[3]

Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School was approved by the Board of Education for Prince George's County Public Schools in 2005.^[4]

Death

Wise suffered a heart attack and died at Prince George's Hospital Center on May 2, 2003.^{[citation needed]}

Awards

Air Medal
Certificate of Valor for Courage in Combat
Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen in 2006^[5]
Pioneer Award for Distinguished Service and Historic Achievement.
Purple Heart

References

^ ^a ^b "Dr. Henry Wise, 82; Tuskegee Airman, Medical Director". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. 9 May 2003. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
^ ^a ^b "Dr. Henry Wise, 82, Tuskegee Airman, Dies". The Washington Post. 2003. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^ "Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School Official Site". DMS Properties, LLC. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^ "Public Law 109–213—APR. 11, 2006 Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen" (PDF). Congress.gov. US Library of Congress. 11 April 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2021.

Notes

^ The red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.^[2]

External links

Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
Tuskegee Airmen National Museum

[Wire-1] "Dr. Henry Wise, 82; Tuskegee Airman, Medical Director". Los Angeles Times. Staff and Wire Reports. 9 May 2003. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

[Rice-2] Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.

[Henry-4] "Dr. Henry Wise, 82, Tuskegee Airman, Dies". The Washington Post. 2003. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

[DMS-5] "Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School Official Site". DMS Properties, LLC. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

[6] "Public Law 109–213—APR. 11, 2006 Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen" (PDF). Congress.gov. US Library of Congress. 11 April 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2021.

[3] The red markings that distinguished the Tuskegee Airmen included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder; their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.^[2]

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