Buford A. Johnson

Master Sergeant Buford A. Johnson (August 30, 1927 – April 15, 2017) was a member of the famed group of African-American World War II pilots and support personnel known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

[2] At the time, the only tasks that African-American men were allowed to do in the Navy were menial jobs, which he was not interested in doing.

Upon graduating, he was assigned to the 99th Fighter Squadron of the 477th Composite Group which was stationed at Godman Field, Kentucky.

[2] After World War II, Johnson was stationed at Lockbourne AFB in Ohio and from there was transferred to Itazuke Air Base in Japan.

[2] Johnson was transferred out of the Korean War zone on 19 December 1951 and was assigned a month later to the 6520th Test Support Wing, Air Force Cambridge Research Center, on the Hanscom AFB in Bedford, Massachusetts as an Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor in January 1952.

[2] On 25 July 1956, Johnson received orders to transfer to the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Toul-Rosieres Air Base in France, where he reported three weeks later on 15 August 1956.

The Tuskegee Airmen were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their service to their country on April 11, 2006.