Robert Friend (pilot)

Robert Jones Friend (February 29, 1920 – June 21, 2019) was an American military officer and pilot who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and led the USAF's Project Blue Book from 1958 to 1963.[3][4] He also served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He had a 28-year military career.

Lieutenant Colonel

Robert Friend
Birth nameRobert Jones Friend
Nickname(s)Bob
Born(1920-02-29)February 29, 1920
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedJune 21, 2019(2019-06-21) (aged 99)[1]
Long Beach, California, U.S.[2]
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army Air Force
Years of service1943-1971
RankLieutenant colonel
Unit332nd Fighter Group
Awards
Spouse(s)
  • Doris “Bunny” Goodwin (divorced)
  • Kathryn Ann Holland (divorced)
Anna Rice
​
​
(m. 1959; died 2010)​
Children8

Early life and education

Friend was born in Columbia, South Carolina on February 29, 1920. From an early age, he loved airplanes and wanted to sign up to fly for the army, but he was turned away because he was black. He attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and studied aviation.[1]

Military career

During World War II, Friend had 142 combat missions.[5] After the war began the Army established a segregated program for black pilots in Tuskegee, Alabama. Friend immediately signed up and completed training. The United States Army Air Corps commissioned him as an officer in the 332nd Fighter Group. He was sent to Africa and later Europe.[1]

After World War II, Friend stayed in the service and eventually served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was in the military for a total of 28 years. He was a graduate of the Air Force Institute of Technology.[2]

Air Force study on UFOs

Friend said he believed in the possibility of extraterrestrial life in the universe. Friend led Project Blue Book, a classified U.S. Air Force study on UFOs. The project was started in 1952 and shut down in 1969 even though 701 documented incidents remain a mystery.[6]

Tuskegee Airmen Congressional Gold Medal front

Awards

Death

Lt. Col. Friend died on June 21, 2019, in Long Beach, California at the age of 99 due to sepsis, according to his daughter. At the time, he was one of 12 remaining Tuskegee Airmen.[8][9] He had flown 142 combat missions in World War II as part of the elite group of fighter pilots trained at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute. A public viewing and memorial was held at the Palm Springs Air Museum on July 6.[10] He had spoken about his experiences in many different events prior to his death, such as in John Murdy Elementary School's "The Gratitude Project" in Garden Grove.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Robert Friend". Redtail. CAF Red Tail Squadron. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  2. Hahn, Jason Duaine. "Tuskegee Airman Robert Friend, Who Flew 142 Combat Missions in World War II, Dead at 99". People. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  3. "Robert J. Friend, Tuskegee Pilot Who Led U.F.O. Project, Is Dead at 99", New York Times, June 26, 2019
  4. Meilan Solly (June 26, 2019), "Robert Friend, Tuskegee Airman Who Flew in 142 Combat Missions, Dies at 99", Smithsonian Magazine
  5. Jackson, Amanda (June 23, 2019). "Robert Friend, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, dies at 99". Cable News Network. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  6. Smith, Harrison (June 23, 2019). "Robert Friend, Tuskegee fighter pilot who led Air Force study on UFOs, dies at 99". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  7. Kruzel, John J. "President, Congress Honor Tuskegee Airmen". Army. U.S. Army. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  8. "Tuskegee Airman Who Flew 142 WWII Combat Missions Dies at 99". NBC New York. June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  9. "One of the Last Surviving Tuskegee Airmen Dies Surrounded By Family". Yahoo News. June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  10. "One of last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, Lt. Col. Robert Friend, has died". New York Daily News. June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  11. "Murdy Elementary School's Gratitude Project Honors Real Life Heroes". GGUSD. June 1, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
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