Forever Among The Skies

U.S. Senator Van Hollen Honored The Legacy And Accomplishments Of Tuskegee Airman And Brigadier General Charles McGee

WASHINGTON – In a recorded video address, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) honored the legacy and accomplishments of Brigadier General Charles McGee December 5 as part of a memorial unveiling for the late Tuskegee Airman hosted by the Distinguished Flying Cross Society at the public library in Silver Spring, Md. that bears his name.

General McGee was a decorated combat pilot who served in the United States Military for over 30 years and fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam – amassing a record three-war total of combat missions – 409 – of any Air Force fighter pilot, with 100 missions or more in each.

General McGee (Ret.) passed away on January 16, 2022, at 102 years old, at his home in Bethesda, Maryland. The memorial unveiling coincides with what would’ve been Brig. Gen. McGee’s 105th birthday on December 7th.

In July of 2019, Senator Van Hollen introduced legislation to authorize General McGee’s honorary promotion to Brigadier General, which was then passed unanimously by the full Senate. Senator Van Hollen and former Congressman Anthony Brown also pushed to include their provision within the House and Senate NDAA. In December of 2019, Senator Van Hollen announced the successful inclusion of the provision within the NDAA, and the legislation was then passed by both the House and the Senate. On December 20, 2019 it was signed into law by the President. Following the Senator’s urging, the U.S. Air Force granted McGee’s promotion in February 2020.

The following is an excerpt from the speech that Sen. Van Hollen gave:

“I am especially honored to join you today to celebrate the life of Brigadier General Charles McGee, an American hero and a deeply missed friend.

I first met General McGee in 2016, when I was a member of the House of Representatives. He reached out to ask for help getting a replacement set of silver Air Force pilot wings. Pilot wings are, in one sense, a mark of skill and service. They say: I’ve done my training; I’ve mastered my craft; I’ve served my country. But in a larger sense, pilot wings are a mark of character. They say to the world: I am an airman. And Charles McGee was one of the greatest airmen of all time. His service spanned three decades, three wars, 6,308 hours, and 409 combat missions in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam – a record-breaking number for an Air Force fighter pilot across those three wars.

But General McGee didn’t just break records: he broke barriers. When he volunteered for the Air Force in 1942, the U.S. military was segregated. But that didn’t stop him. As one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, he helped prove to a watchful nation something that shouldn’t have required proving. In General McGee’s words: “One of the things we were fighting for was equality. Equality of opportunity. We knew we had the same skills, or better.” And he was right. Charles McGee was not only fighting the Nazis overseas, he was fighting injustice and segregation here at home. And he made historic advances on both fronts.

General McGee is an American hero. That’s why I worked to honor his heroism by authorizing his honorary promotion to the rank of Brigadier General. It was a long push that lasted four years, but we succeeded. Colonel Charles McGee became Brigadier General Charles McGee – and future generations will know him by that rank for all time.

General McGee died two years ago, and I had the privilege of delivering a eulogy at his funeral. I said then, and I say it again now, that although General McGee’s journey has ended, his story lives on as a powerful example of American heroism.

He’s an example to me. He’s an example to Maryland. He’s an example to every American. And a role model for every child who sees this new memorial.

So I’ll end in the spirit I began: thanking all of you for gathering today to honor Charles McGee. By remembering him, we recommit ourselves to his life’s work: both defending our country and demanding that it live up to its full promise.

He flew 409 combat missions, returning to the cockpit again and again. Now, every time we tell his story, he takes wing once more.”