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General Soaring To Glory / Harry Stewart
2019.09.03 13:22
Soaring To Glory
A Tuskegee Airman's Firsthand Account Of World War II
Philip Handleman with
Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart, Jr.
2019
"This book is a masterpiece. It captures the essence of the Tuskegee Airmen's experience from the perspective of one who lived it. The action sequences make me feel I'm back in the cockpit of my P-51C 'Kitten'! If you want to know what it was like fighting German interceptors in European skies while winning equal opportunity at home, be sure to read this book!" —Colonel Charles E. McGee, USAF (ret.) former president, Tuskegee Airmen Inc.
“All Americans owe Harry Stewart Jr. and his fellow airmen a huge debt for defending our country during World War II. In addition, they have inspired generations of African American youth to follow their dreams.” —Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University
He had to sit in a segregated rail car on the journey to Army basic training in Mississippi in 1943. But two years later, the twenty-year-old African American from New York was at the controls of a P-51, prowling for Luftwaffe aircraft at five thousand feet over the Austrian countryside. By the end of World War II, he had done something that nobody could take away from him:
He had become an American hero.
This is the remarkable true story of Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr., one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen pilots who experienced air combat during World War II. Award-winning aviation writer Philip Handleman recreates the harrowing action and heart-pounding drama of Stewart’s combat missions, including the legendary mission in which Stewart downed three enemy fighters.
Soaring to Glory also reveals the cruel injustices Stewart and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen faced during their wartime service and upon return home after the war. Stewart’s heroism was not celebrated as it should have been in postwar America—but now, his boundless courage and determination will never be forgotten.
Comment 8
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황규정*65
2019.09.03 21:42
His cardiologist had been his hero as well to me.
Thanks for sharing this story with us. KJ -
You made me feel embarrassed by saying that, Dr. Hwang, my friend.
Without a doubt it is such a special privilege for the physician to be
entrusted by his patient.
-
The author or writer of the story of Col. Stewart is also quite an interesting
Jewish fellow, a sort of pioneer in aviation as described in the below.
He grew up in Bloomfield Village, which is my old neighborhood in Detroit suburb.
-
I finished reading the book yesterday and gave Col. Stewart a call,
as I promised him. He wants to visit with me when he has a chance to come to ca.
Reading the book was an eye-opening experience for me
from an entirely different perspective, i.e. from that of a black man through
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's, which was a good learning experience even
at my age, 79.
The book is excellently written, much of which was detailed historical background
surrounding political, socioeconomic events over many decades that were affecting
the ambitious young black man's life in a compelling, scintillating, breathless manner.
In addition, there was so much detailed information regarding all the military aircrafts,
including Mustang, which we saw a lot during Korean War. The writer is said to be
an expert in military airplanes.
As for Col. Stewart, all I can say is that he is a true hero with a combination of a rare courage,
intelligence, will power and wisdom, perhaps one a million.
After reading the book, I realized it was a special privilege for me to have been his personal physician
for a significant part of his life. I told him so for the first time yesterday.
I couldn't drop the book until the end.
I highly recommend this book to any minority member of American society
including Koreans.
Upon my second thought all Americans including Donald Trump and white supremacists
should read the book too.
About an hour ago I had a pleasant long conversation with
my former long time patient of some forty years, Harry Stewart, 95 years of age,
World War II hero who just published the book, Soaring To Glory, this year.
I received a copy signed by him today, and when I called him, he thanked me
for helping him to live this long so that he could write his story of World War II
which is the very definition of true hero and true courage in every sense of the word.
Let me remind you he is a black man who overcame the worst racism first in his own way
as a very young man. He volunteered to go to Army at age 17 and waited one year
before they took him.
As his physician and cardiologist of 40 some years, I had all the chances to know him
and observe him. His wife died of cancer under my care so that I could watch how
dedicated husband he was and what he is made of.
I have never met a man humbler than this man.
Once my nurse showed a newspaper showing a picture of him receiving a medal from
President Clinton, but he never said a word of any brag to me during those 40 years
I was his treating physician. I performed coronary angiography on him and elected to treat him
medically for somewhat diffuse 3 vessel disease. That was in late 1970's.
He required a permanent pacemaker later on. Although he is 95, he travels extensively
for his book signing tour. He was at Nixon Library, San Clemente, CA, last week.
As I once said on this page, I have learned a lot from my many patients like this one
during the 43 years of medical practice.
To me every one of my patients who fought their unfortunate illnesses or sicknesses courageously
is my hero and my heroine and battle frontier friend, and I have said so to every one of them
over the years.
Harry was one of my best patients, and wrote in the book,
"To Dr. Hahn Lee
with utmost appreciation and gratitude.
From your obedient patient!
Harry Stewart, 8/26/2019"