Princess Cruises honored a surviving Tuskegee Airman aboard the Discovery Princess in Seattle because the warfare hero set sail to Alaska for his a hundredth birthday celebration.

Paying Homage to a “High Gun” Tuskegee Airman

Princess Cruises paid tribute to Lieutenant Colonel James H. Harvey III, a surviving Tuskegee Airman, on Might 21, 2023, aboard the 145,000-ton Discovery Princess in Seattle. 

Discovery Princess was manufactured by the Italian shipbuilding agency Fincantieri and was launched in March 2021. 

As Lieutenant Colonel Harvey III bought able to embark on his a hundredth birthday voyage to Alaska, the cruise line selected to honor this esteemed warfare hero with an early commemoration of his extraordinary centenary of honor and achievement.

The McChord Area Honor Guard warmly obtained Lt. Col. Harvey and his household aboard the Discovery Princess. The welcoming ceremony featured a standard USAF (United States Air Power) coloration presentation.

The ship’s crew then introduced their particular birthday visitor with a really patriotic-looking cake. The ship’s workers additionally joined in, serving to commemorate Lt. Col. Harvey’s spectacular centennial landmark.

“It’s our honest honor to have a good time the a hundredth birthday of Lieutenant Colonel Harvey III, a trailblazer, hero, and actual ‘High Gun,’” Princess Cruises president John Padgett remarked.

“His life and legacy ought to remind everybody in regards to the energy of braveness, willpower, resilience and the American spirit. From all of us at Princess Cruises, we salute Lt. Col. Harvey and want him a really comfortable a hundredth birthday!” Padgett added, providing his congratulations.

Harvey, a pioneering Tuskegee Airman, made important contributions to overcoming racial boundaries within the army. His exemplary service as a part of this distinguished group of African American pilots throughout World Struggle II stays unparalleled.

The Tuskegee Airman

The Tuskegee Airmen have been famed African American pilots, assist workers, and instructors who served within the US Military Air Corps throughout WWII. 

These flyers and floor crew helped knock down long-standing racial boundaries, changing into the primary black army aviators within the US army. Regardless of dealing with tons of racism, they displayed distinctive talent and bravado in intense aerial dogfights. 

The Tuskegee Airmen excelled in quite a lot of fight missions, like escorting bombers, as properly. They garnered a stellar status. Their many achievements assisted the Civil Rights Motion and pushed the US Armed Forces towards desegregation.

The Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy additionally impressed future generations, displaying folks how braveness and dedication can be utilized to deal with adversity.

Lieutenant Colonel James H. Harvey III

Retired Lieutenant Colonel James H. Harvey III was born on July 13, 1923, in Montclair, New Jersey. He served as a fighter pilot with the famend Tuskegee Airmen’s 99th Squadron, often known as the “Pink Tails.” 

Harvey, one of many 1,007 skilled pilots in World Struggle II, additionally turned the primary African American USAF jet fighter fight pilot in the course of the Korean Struggle, finishing 140 missions from 1949 to 1950.

Including to his listing of spectacular firsts and honors, Lieutenant Harvey emerged victorious within the inaugural USAF “Top Gun” competitors in 1949. He was, actually, the unique “Maverick.” Sorry, Tom Cruise.

Whereas main his crew within the competitors, Harvey proved his flying prowess in an intense ten-day occasion that concerned aerial gunnery, dive bombing, skip bombing, rocket firing, and panel strafing at altitudes of 20,000 and 12,000 toes.

In 2006, Harvey and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen have been honored with the distinguished Congressional Gold Medal.

Throughout his birthday journey aboard the Discovery Princess, Harvey will interact with fellow visitors by way of scheduled onboard discussions, sharing insights from his illustrious army service, peppered with tales stemming from his exceptional life experiences. 

The Discovery Princess is presently slated for weeklong roundtrip cruises departing from Seattle to Alaska each Sunday, persevering with by September.