Tuskegee Airman, Chief Master Sgt. Richard Hall Jr. has died at 97.
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Photo: Richard Hall Jr.[/caption]
The Winter Park native’s statue, which was vandalized in 2019, stands outside the Hannibal Square Heritage Center.
Hall served the United States Air Force for 31 years, first as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen-the first African American pilots in the Air Force-during WWII.
He later served as a Master Chief Sergeant during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
President George W. Bush awarded Hall the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 for his role in desegregating the armed forces and his bravery in battle.
His oral history is housed in the Winter Park Public Library.