Yenwith Whitney
Yenwith K. He had been an enthusiastic 18-year-dated Bronx native who’d grown up planning a mostly light school and you will local chapel. Just after graduating senior school through the The second world war, he enrolled in brand new fledgling black aviation system.
My first proper knowledge of black colored babies is actually located in the newest army heavens corps. It actually was my personal basic serious exposure to getting element of a good class that has been only black.
Of many commanders don’t wanted blacks doing anything but menial labor into the World war ii. It did not envision blacks have been smart adequate to do things including fly airplanes. We got my personal earliest trained in Biloxi, Skip. I’d never been regarding 
Away from Biloxi, Whitney proceeded to train within Tuskegee Institute’s 66th Air Force Flying College during the Tuskegee Institute from inside the Alabama.
There clearly was just one procedure i dreamed of and therefore try delivering our wings. For folks who washed out, it was more disastrous procedure which will happen to you. I started off having 64 inside our category, but simply twenty six had the wings and you can graduated. That was the most effective day’s living. I experienced attained things tall.
From inside the 1944, he continued so you can serve as a pilot in another of five all-black colored combatant systems about 332 Fighter Category (“Purple Tails”), allotted to new most of the-black 301st Fighter Squadron, of fifteenth Heavens Force. Into the battle, Whitney flew 34 treat objectives within the European countries because the good combatant airplane pilot escorting heavier bombers, making an environment Medal and you may about three Groups to own his services.
Autographed 3×5 postcard depicting Tuskegee Airman Yenwith Whitney of one’s 332 Fighter Classification (“Reddish Tails”), allotted to the newest all of the-black 301st Combatant Squadron, of your fifteenth Air Force, ca. 1944.
Post-Conflict
Even after earning an environment Medal and you will three Groups for his services, Whitney are not able to score a job which have a commercial trip after the combat.
I happened to be upset. I found myself just as accredited as the others. We enrolled in a knowledgeable university I am able to consider.
He used on MIT underneath the GI Statement and was acknowledged. For the 1949, Whitney attained a good Bachelors when you look at the Aeronautics and you can Astronautics (Course XVI) away from MIT inside the 1949.
After getting his studies of MIT, Whitney struggled to obtain Republic Flights into the stress investigation, following into EDO Organization to the architectural type of routes drifts. For the 1958, the guy and his nearest and dearest gone to live in Cameroon, where Whitney instructed math and you will physics within an excellent Presbyterian goal. Your family returned to Ny 10 years afterwards, even if Whitney continued helping the fresh United Presbyterian Church during the minority degree and you may international training for the Africa, the brand new You.S., and you may Asia. Whitney and gained a good Master’s training in mathematics knowledge and you can an excellent doctorate during the Worldwide Training off Columbia College.
After their senior years when you look at the 1992, Whitney turned into energetic on the MIT Alumni Association, in which he had been involved on the national choices committee. The guy offered with the panel from directors of one’s MIT Club of Southwestern Fl, because an useful therapist, so when president out-of Black Alumni/ae off MIT (BAMIT).
“When i visited MIT, I became well treated along with a great experience with the brand new dormitory, the fresh fraternity, along with intramural sports,” he informed MIT Tech Opinion. “Yet , there are merely around three most other black colored pupils whenever i try in the MIT, that is why I happened to be thus looking for BAMIT. I believe BAMIT try a very important part of MIT and important to own black children.”
