Spann Watson
Spann Watson | |
|---|---|
Spann Watson at Lockbourne AFB in the late 1940s | |
| Born | August 14, 1916 near Johnston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | April 15, 2010 (aged 93) Mineola, New York, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1941–1964 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | 332d Fighter Group |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen |
Spann Watson (August 14, 1916 – April 15, 2010) was an American military aviator and civil servant who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He flew over 30 missions in North Africa, Italy and Southern Europe. In March 2007, Watson attended a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, where he and other surviving veterans of the Tuskegee Airmen (and their widows) were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service. He died on April 15, 2010, aged 93.
Watson was among the first African American U.S. military pilots to engage in aerial combat against an enemy combatant, sharing this achievement with 99th Fighter Squadron pilots Sidney P. Brooks, Charles W. Dryden, Leon C. Roberts, Lee Rayford and Willie Ashley.