Mitchell Higginbotham: Difference between revisions
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Higginbotham's younger brother [[Robert Higginbotham (Tuskegee Airman)|Robert]] also joined the military during World War II two years after his older brother; however, Robert Higginbotham became a pilot for the Navy Air Corps.<ref name=trib /> |
Higginbotham's younger brother [[Robert Higginbotham (Tuskegee Airman)|Robert]] also joined the military during World War II two years after his older brother; however, Robert Higginbotham became a pilot for the Navy Air Corps.<ref name=trib /> |
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[[File:Freeman Field Mutiny.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Arrested African-American officers of the 477th Bombardment Group at Freeman Field, Indiana, await transport to Godman Field, Kentucky, April 1945.]] |
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Higginbotham was one of 100 black servicemen who were arrested for attempting to enter an officers club reserved for white officers.<ref name=trib /> This event became known as the [[Freeman Field Mutiny]].<ref name=trib /> |
Higginbotham was one of 100 black servicemen who were arrested for attempting to enter an officers club reserved for white officers.<ref name=trib /> This event became known as the [[Freeman Field Mutiny]].<ref name=trib /> |
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Revision as of 17:48, 27 November 2013
Mitchell Higginbotham | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 2, 1921 |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Occupation | U.S. Army Air Force |
| Years active | 1942-1946 (active), 1946-1962 (reserve) |
| Known for | Tuskegee Airmen |
| Relatives | Robert Higginbotham (brother) |
| Awards | Congressional Gold Medal |
Mitchell Higginbotham (born March 2, 1921) is a retired U.S. Army Air Force officer who was a member of the famed African American World War II fighter group known as the Tuskegee Airmen.[1]
Biography
Early life
Higginbotham was born in Amherst, Virginia on March 2, 1921.[1] He has a younger brother, Robert, who also became a member of the U.S. military..[2]
Military career
Higginbotham joined the U.S. military in the summer 1942.[1] He subsequently was acccepted into the Tuskegee Army Airfield Class TE-44-K from which he graduated on February 1, 1945 with a commission as a Second Lieutenant.[1] Higginbotham became one of the original members of the Tuskegee Airmen when he was assigned to the 477th Bombardment Group.[1] He served on active duty through the end of World War II; in 1946, he left active duty but continued as a member of the U.S. Army Air Force Reserves.[1] He initially flew fighter aircraft but eventually moved up to flying B-52s.[2]
Higginbotham's younger brother Robert also joined the military during World War II two years after his older brother; however, Robert Higginbotham became a pilot for the Navy Air Corps.[2]
Higginbotham was one of 100 black servicemen who were arrested for attempting to enter an officers club reserved for white officers.[2] This event became known as the Freeman Field Mutiny.[2]
Civilian career
Following his years of active duty, Higginbotham went to work for the Los Angeles Airport Advisory Committee, working as a registrar at the Pittsburg Airport.[1] He also served as a probation officer for nearly thirty years.[1]
Awards
Higginbotham and his brother Robert both received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.[2] He also received "Man of the Year" Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc in 1996.[1]
See also
Futher reading
Articles
- Thomas-Lester, Avis (August 04, 2011). "Tuskegee Airmen's ranks may be smaller, but these veterans are still flying high". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
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Archival resources
- Mitchell Higginbotham Papers (6.25 linear feet) are housed in the Special Collections & Archives of the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
