Eugene Calvin Cheatham Jr.

Eugene Calvin Cheatham Jr. (August 27, 1915 — May 10, 2005) was one of the Tuskegee Airmen and a career officer in the United States Air Force.

Eugene Calvin Cheatham Jr.
Cheatham studying aerial photographs during the Korean War, 1951
Born(1915-08-27)August 27, 1915
Georgia, U.S.
DiedMay 10, 2005(2005-05-10) (aged 89)
Spring Valley, California, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branch United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Forces
United States Air Force
Years of service1941–1977
RankLieutenant colonel
Unit332nd Fighter Group
67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
Battles/warsWorld War II, Korean War

Cheatham was born in Georgia, United States; his father was an Episcopal missionary whose work took the family to Africa and Europe.[1] While living in New York City, he became a Boy Scout and by 1930 he had completed the requirements for Eagle Scout. Unable to afford a full uniform, he never appeared before his board of review.

Cheatham was a fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group— better known as the Tuskegee Airmen —during World War II. He flew 150 missions during the Korean War. He achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel and retired in 1977. He then worked as a personnel and equal-opportunity officer for the Air Force, serving in Japan, Montana and San Bernardino, California.[2]

In 2001, Cheatham attended a Veterans Day event where he expressed his regret at not earning Eagle Scout to one of the organizers who happened to be an Eagle Scout. Executives from International Profit Associates petitioned the National Council of the BSA to award Cheatham's Eagle Scout.[3] Unable to locate records, the Scouts tested Cheatham and performed an exhaustive board of review according to the requirements of 1930. On September 18, 2004 Cheatham was awarded his Eagle Scout in a ceremony at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.[4][5]

Cheatham died on May 10, 2005, from pancreatic cancer and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[6][7]

References
  1. Williams, Jack (May 17, 2005). "Col. Eugene Cheatham Jr., 89; Tuskegee Airman". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
  2. "Eugene Calvin Cheatham, Jr". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved March 9, 2008.
  3. "International Profit Associates Campaign and Succeed in Obtaining Eagle Scout Award for Tuskegee Airman". PRWeb. September 24, 2004. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
  4. John Wilkens (August 7, 2004). "At 88, veteran to get Eagle Scout award". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved March 9, 2008.
  5. "Col. Cheatham's Eagle Court of Honor" (PDF). Flight Lines. No. Fall 2004. San Diego Aerospace Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2007.
  6. "Tuskegee airman dies". North County Times. May 17, 2005. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  7. "LTC Eugene Calvin Cheatham, Jr". findagrave.com. December 5, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2016.

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