Lt. Col. Spann Watson
1916-08-14 2020-04-15
Spann is remembered for his class and courage. He refused to obey segregation laws in the military so he helped change them.
Spann was one of the original Tuskegee Airman and a member of the famed 99th Fighter Squadron.
Spann’s picture hangs with other Airmen in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. He received a number of significant awards and recognitions. He was one of the Tuskegee Airman honored by President Bill Clinton at the White House in 1998. He was also a VIP attendee at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. His trip from his NJ home to the inaugural was filmed and reported on by the New York Times.
Spann developed an early interest in aviation. At the age of 9, he attended an air show and recognized one of the circling airplanes as Charles Lindberg’s Spirit of Saint Louis. The announcer laughed and didn’t believe him, but once the plane landed, little Spann was proven right. This helped fuel his passion for aviation and his desire to prove himself.
After a 23-year military career, Spann joined the Federal Aviation Administration as an equal opportunity specialist. He was responsible for more than 35 youngsters winning appointments to the three major service academies. He also helped hundreds of minorities gain employment, including 483 airline flight attendants and first-time pilots.
Spann was very involved with the family. He attended most of the family reunions and was always good-natured and shared lots of interesting stories.
He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on July 29, 2010.
https://youtu.be/DBZbduoklCk?si=JXQnGa3Q7coAZ5TM
Spann was one of the original Tuskegee Airman and a member of the famed 99th Fighter Squadron.
Spann’s picture hangs with other Airmen in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. He received a number of significant awards and recognitions. He was one of the Tuskegee Airman honored by President Bill Clinton at the White House in 1998. He was also a VIP attendee at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. His trip from his NJ home to the inaugural was filmed and reported on by the New York Times.
Spann developed an early interest in aviation. At the age of 9, he attended an air show and recognized one of the circling airplanes as Charles Lindberg’s Spirit of Saint Louis. The announcer laughed and didn’t believe him, but once the plane landed, little Spann was proven right. This helped fuel his passion for aviation and his desire to prove himself.
After a 23-year military career, Spann joined the Federal Aviation Administration as an equal opportunity specialist. He was responsible for more than 35 youngsters winning appointments to the three major service academies. He also helped hundreds of minorities gain employment, including 483 airline flight attendants and first-time pilots.
Spann was very involved with the family. He attended most of the family reunions and was always good-natured and shared lots of interesting stories.
He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on July 29, 2010.
https://youtu.be/DBZbduoklCk?si=JXQnGa3Q7coAZ5TM