A vital link to a celebrated past has been lost. Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Charles "Chuck" Dryden, 87, a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the legendary black pilots of World War II, died Tuesday morning in Atlanta.
Family members could not be reached for comment Wednesday. But a close friend of Dryden's in Warner Robins, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Walter Randall, confirmed what he called a great personal loss and a significant loss to the nation.
"Chuck Dryden personified the true spirt of the airman," Randall said. "He persevered. America is much better because of people like him."
Pat Bartness, president and chief operating officer of the Museum of Aviation Foundation, said the museum has lost a strong supporter and friend. The local institution has an extensive Tuskegee Airmen exhibit.
"He lived a great life," Bartness said. "He was an educator, pilot, writer. What a role model he was for anybody."
Dryden was born Sept. 16, 1920, in New York City to Jamaican parents. Armed with a love of aviation and a quest for knowledge, he earned a bachelor's degree from Hofstra University and later a master's degree from Columbia University.
As U.S. involvement in World War II grew closer, he became part of an unprecedented undertaking at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to offer pilot training to black college graduates. In March 1941, the Army Air Corps formed the 99th Pursuit Squadron at Tuskegee, and Dryden was a member of 42-D, the second class to graduate.
Following graduation and commissioning, he transferred to North Africa and quickly gained a name for himself. Leading a patrol of six P-40s over the island of Pantelleria, Dryden and other Tuskegee Airmen tangled with Luftwaffe fighters escorting German bombers, damaging one enemy fighter and forcing the bombers to drop their payloads into the sea and retreat. The 99th suffered no damage.
In October 1943, Dryden returned to the United States to train additional pilots. Air Force records show that 992 black pilots were trained during World War II and 450 served overseas, eventually transitioning from P-40 and P-39 fighters to more modern and robust P-47s and F-51 Mustangs.
They fought the enemy overseas and racial discrimination at home, and their value to the war effort was unquestioned. From June 1944 through the end of the war, they flew 200 bomber escort missions, shooting down 111 enemy aircraft and destroying 150 on the ground. They also destroyed more than 600 railroad cars, one naval destroyer and 40 boats and barges. They lost 150 men.
Dryden remained in the military after the war, seeing additional combat action in Korea. He retired with 21 years of service in 1962. After the military, the pioneering airman worked for Lockheed Aeronautical Systems in Marietta.
He later captured his World War II experiences in a book, "A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman," and was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in 1998. Dryden also served on the hall of fame's board of directors and was a fixture at the annual induction ceremony of new members, often reading John Magee Jr.'s famous poem "High Flight."
Randall first met Dryden after transferring to Robins Air Force Base in 1994. He attended meetings of the Atlanta chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Association and was later elected president.
"At the time, they had more than 20 original Tuskegee airmen, including Chuck," Randall recalled. "Chuck shared all the history of things that went on during the war. He had so many stories to tell."
Randall, who retired from the Air Force in 2000, said the heroic airman talked about the struggles but never used the word hate.
"He loved his country," he concluded. "He would say we had all of this put in front of us, but we were determined to make it. That was the glue that kept everything together."
Randall said his life and military service have been enriched by the close relationship.
"Chuck was black, but he could have been Polish, Italian or whatever," he related. "First and foremost, he was an American. And his message was that whatever obstacles are placed in front of you, just press on. He believed the American spirit of fair play would eventually come to the forefront. And it did."
The accomplishments of the Tuskegee crew were profound, part of why Randall helped establish a local chapter of the association. One goal is to encourage young people to go on to bigger and better things.
"These guys went over there and, against all odds, they succeeded," Randall emphasized. "It was a big step for America in terms of full integration and acceptance of all citizens. It was huge and America should never forget it."
To contact writer Gene Rector,
call 923-3109, extension 239.
