SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. —
Heritage Park gained even more heritage during an unveiling ceremony to honor the late Maj. Lewis J. Lynch, 332nd Fighter Group P-51 Mustang pilot, and Tuskegee Airman.
The ceremony, which took place on his birthday of Oct. 5, designated a park bench at Scott Field Heritage Air Park in his honor. His daughter, Robyn, and son, David, along with friends and 375th Air Mobility Wing senior leaders, gathered in his memory.
Robyn and David reflected on memories from their childhood when their father was stationed at Scott, where he eventually retired from active duty in 1964. Lynch passed away in 2007.
“I think he’d be overjoyed,” said David in an interview with Fox 2 News. “He’s modest and would say, ‘Aw shucks.’”
The Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots in U.S. military history, trained at Tuskegee Air Field during World War II. 992 pilots graduated from the program, completing 1,578 combat missions and flying 15,533 sorties. Their efforts destroyed 261 enemy aircraft and earned more than 850 medals for their distinguished service.
“Just don’t forget the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen,” said Victor Dorset, Advisory Member of the Lewis Lynch Tuskegee Chapter to Fox 2 News. “The barriers they broke through—like I say, they opened a lot of doors for a lot of individuals.”
