George Hickman Passes Away
An original Tuskegee airman and longtime usher at University of Washington and Seattle Seahawks’ games has died. George Hickman’s wife reports that the airman passed away early Sunday morning in Seattle. He was previously celebrated for being one of the first black pilots to fly for the U.S. military during World War I, and he and his fellow airmen received the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, in 2007. Hickman would later attend President Obama’s inauguration as a special guest.
Just last year, Hickman traveled with fellow surviving airmen to screenings of George Lucas’ Red Tails, the movie based on their experience in the war.
“There was just a feeling that we had to open up the doors and get the troops overseas,” said Hickman about his service. “We were trying to break down every door, every barrier we could break down.”
Hickman was 88.
