Tuskegee Airman from Monticello to receive Congressional Gold Medal from Gregg Harper

Tuskegee Airman from Monticello to receive Congressional Gold Medal from Gregg Harper

Former Tuskegee Airman Johnny C. Whitfield of Monticello was to be presented Friday with the Congressional Gold Medal.

U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., was to make the presentation during an event at the Lawrence County Courthouse.

The elite medal has been given selectively since 1776, when George Washington was awarded the first. Other honorees include the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Rosa Parks and the Dalai Lama. The Tuskegee Airmen, the first group of black fighter pilots, received the medal in 2007.

Clarion Ledger
7/27/12