He was one of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American aviators and support personnel who served during World War II.

[2] Wilkerson faced significant racial discrimination while serving in the Air Force because of the segregation of the military at the time.

[3] Wilkerson faced segregation when he was required to sit in a different train car than white soldiers on his way to the Tuskegee base.

When he arrived there, he found that blacks were forced to eat separately during meals and to sit apart from white soldiers while watching films.

[1] Since his retirement, Wilkerson has spent time volunteering for the Chicago "DODO" Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, helping minority and at-risk youth fly for free through the "Young Eagles" program.