Lt. Col. James H. Harvey III

Lt. Col. James H. Harvey III was born on July 13, 1923, in Montclair, New Jersey. His family relocated to Nuangola Station, Pennsylvania, in 1936. Excelling in high school, he became senior class president and valedictorian. Drafted into the Army in April 1943, he encountered prejudice early on. During his train journey to Fort Meade and Washington, D.C., Harvey experienced active racism for the first time, an incident that left a lasting impact.

Assigned to the U.S. Army Air Corps, Harvey was not initially chosen as a pilot. He later reapplied and successfully completed flight training at Tuskegee Army Air Field. Commissioned as a second lieutenant on October 16, 1944, he joined the 99th Fighter Squadron and was assigned to the P-47. The unit’s deployment to Europe was delayed in 1945 due to the war’s imminent end.

In 1949, Executive Order 9981 ended military segregation. The 332nd Fighter Group’s accomplishments were recognized when three members, including Harvey, won the first U.S. Air Force Weapons Meet at Nellis Air Force Base in 1949, an achievement officially documented in 1995.

Harvey gained combat experience in the Korean War, becoming the first Black jet fighter pilot in Korean airspace. His leadership during an adverse weather bombing mission earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross and multiple Air Medals. He served in various roles throughout his career, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1965 after 22 years of service.