Tuskegee Airman John H. Morgan
"Portrait of Tuskegee Airman Lt. John Morgan"
Graphite on textured paper 31 x 42 cm.
© Troy White 2018
Graphite on textured paper 31 x 42 cm.
© Troy White 2018
1st. Lt. John H. Morgan of was from Cartersville, GA. After being selected for flight training he reported to Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama and graduated with Class 42-H on 2 September 1942. 42-H was the sixth class of African-American pilots graduate from flying training. During the next few months Morgan and his fellow 99th Fighter Squadron pilots honed their skills stateside and On 16 April 1943 the 99th sailed from New York harbour aboard the steamship Mariposa and sailed for North Africa. John arrived at Casablanca, French Morocco on 24 April where the 99th was assigned to the 12th Air Force. By the end of the month the 99th was based at Oued N'ja, French Morocco and were engaged in advanced operational training. On 2 June 1943 the 99th Fighter Squadron equipped with P-40L aircraft flew its first combat mission. A patrol over the Mediterranean Sea while temporally attached to the 33d Fighter Group. For the next week the Morgan and his squadron mates flew an average of two missions per day during the campaign against Pantelleria Island while at the same time relocating their base to Fardjouna, Tunisia. Some of their missions in the Pantelleria campaign were tactical, targeting enemy gun sites on the island, and for others they pulled escort duty for A-20s and B-25s. By the end of the month the Sicilian campaign had begun and the 99th was re-assigned to the 324th Fighter Group and began flying escort missions between Tunisia and Sicily.
On 1 July 1943, just one month after entering combat, 1st Lt. Charles B. Hall became the first Tuskegee Airmen to score aerial victory credit by shooting down a a Focke Wulf 190 fighter. Lt. W. I. "Ace" Lawson also claimed probable destruction of another FW-190 and damaged an Me-109.
Lt. Morgan continued flying operational missions with the 99th as they advanced into Italy in September and throughout the rest of the year. He lost his life on 2 January 1944. He was making a downwind landing at the 99ths base at Madna, Italy and his P-40 ran off the end of the runway the runway and into a ditch. John was killed when he hit his head on the gunsight.
Lt. Morgan continued flying operational missions with the 99th as they advanced into Italy in September and throughout the rest of the year. He lost his life on 2 January 1944. He was making a downwind landing at the 99ths base at Madna, Italy and his P-40 ran off the end of the runway the runway and into a ditch. John was killed when he hit his head on the gunsight.
Tuskegee Airman Lt. John Morgan Giclée Print
Portrait of Tuskegee Airman Lt. John Morgan Open edition print 10"x14".John Henry Morgan, of Cartersville, Bartow County Georgia was one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. Lt Morgan flew P-40s with the 99th Fighter Squadron. He was killed on 2 January 1944.
$
99.00
Tuskegee Airman Lt. John Morgan Giclée Print
Portrait of Tuskegee Airman Lt. John Morgan Open edition print 10"x14".John Henry Morgan, of Cartersville, Bartow County Georgia was one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. Lt Morgan flew P-40s with the 99th Fighter Squadron. He was killed on 2 January 1944.
$
99.00
