SARASOTA, Fla. — Out of the 355 Tuskegee Airmen who were deployed overseas during World War II, Lt. Col. (Ret.) George Hardy is among the last living. He celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday in Sarasota.

His journey as one of the pioneering Black combat aviators is marked by dedication and selflessness. Enlisting at 18 in 1943, he participated in three major conflicts and completed 136 combat missions during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. “I flew in World War II. P-51. 21 combat missions over Europe,” Hardy stated.

As a teenager, Hardy hadn’t planned on a military path until the attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred just six months before his high school graduation. However, his path to enlistment was obstructed by racial challenges.

“A lot of people don’t realize how segregated the service was then,” he said. “In 1925, they thought that Afro-Americans couldn’t fly airplanes really. That they didn’t have the ability to concentrate and do things like that.”

Hardy was referring to the Army War College’s 1925 “Negro Manpower in War” report, which said things like, “the cranial activity of the negro is smaller than the white,” and that “he cannot control himself in the face of danger to the extent the white man can.”

“We disproved that theory. In fact, we did a hell of a good job, I thought,” he said. 

It was a dual job to the Tuskegee Airmen. Historians and the airmen themselves say they fought two wars: fascism abroad and racism at home.” 

“The thing is it’s our country too, so we’ve got to work for our country no matter what the situation,” Hardy said. 

Hardy has remained active through his 90s, volunteering in food pantries and speaking to groups across the nation about the history of the Tuskegee Airmen. A relative told 10 Tampa Bay he is no longer doing interviews for health reasons. 

He credits broad thinking and staying active for his longevity. “I think you got to keep your mind open to accept new ideas, find out what’s happening in life, and keep going. Don’t just sit back and figure my life is over. No, it’s not over.”

Hardy says he hopes more people will take time to learn the history of the Tuskegee Airmen so the lessons won’t be lost. “There’s so many people who still don’t know about Tuskegee Afro-Americans,” he said. 

“Servicemen gave their all in the service of this country,” he said. “Many of them didn’t come back. And we should pay tribute to them.”

Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Bluesky and X. You can also email her at emorrow@10tampabay.com.