Stamp Honors Father of Black Aviation

The Postal Service has issued a stamp honoring the head instructor for the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black military pilots who fought in World War II.

The postage commemorating Charles Alfred "Chief" Anderson was unveiled March 13 at a ceremony in Bryn Mawr, the Philadelphia suburb where he grew up.

In 1932, Anderson became the first African American to earn a commercial pilot's license. He went on to teach aviation at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

"The Postal Service is proud to honor Charles Alfred 'Chief' Anderson, a Black aviation pioneer who inspired, motivated and educated thousands of young people in aviation careers, including the famed Tuskegee Airmen of World War II," said U.S. Postal Service Judicial Officer William Campbell.

The 70-cent stamp notes Anderson's affectionate nickname of "Chief," which is what students called him.

Anderson died in 1996 at the age of 89. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame last year.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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