Lt.Col. William Hugo Holloman III, born 21 August 1924 in St. Louis , Missouri, successfully completed the Aviation Cadet examinations in August 1942. After waiting months for class selection, he began training with college courses at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama and graduating in class 44-H from Tuskegee Army Air Field in September 1944. Following transition training in the P-40 and P-47, Bill became a replacement pilot in Italy , flying P-51's with the 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, known as "The Red Tails". Following the war, Bill returned to Tuskegee AAF again before rejoining the 99th FS, at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio , again flying the Thunderbolt. In January 1947 he briefly left the service to study engineering at St. Louis University , returning to Lockbourne in June 1948, assigned to the 301st FS, 332nd FG flying the P-47N. Bill was one of the first participants in Air Force integration when assigned to the Airborne Electronics School at Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi in November. In 1950 he left the Air Force again to continue his educational pursuits at the University of California , Berkeley . Those plans were short lived as the Korean conflict resulted in his recall to active duty as a MATS pilot, Travis AFB, California , where one of the missions was transporting passengers and supplies to the Far East and Korea and returning wounded troops to the states. It was during this tour of duty that Bill became the first Black helicopter pilot in the Air Force. Following the Korean conflict, he once more left the Air Force, only to return to active duty as an Army helicopter pilot in June 1954. This tour, in addition to instructing in cargo helicopters and teaching instruments, found him involved in cold weather testing at Thule Greenland. He said farewell to the military in October 1957 to pursue desires in a much improved, from a racial aspect, commercial aviation career.
He is an active member of the Tuskegee Airmen, Incorporated, the U.S. Army Black Aviation Association, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, EAA Warbirds Squadron 2, the P-40 Warhawks Pilots, the P-47 Thunderbolt Pilots, and the P-51 Mustang Pilots Associations, plus he assists the Western Washington Squadron of ALO's in Air Force Academy and AFROTC recruiting. A father of six children, Bill now resides in Seattle, Washington, devoting his time doing historical research on Blacks in the military, giving talks on the Tuskegee Airmen and encouraging youth in Air Force and Aerospace careers. |
