Scott AFB honors Tuskegee Airman in bench unveiling ceremony Published Oct. 8, 2024 By Senior Airman De'Quan Simmons 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Robin and David Lynch, the children of Maj. Lewis J. Lynch, 332nd Fighter Group P-51 Mustang pilot and Tuskegee Airman, deliver remarks during a bench unveiling ceremony in their father’s honor, at Scott Field Heritage Park, on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Oct. 4, 2024. Throughout their service, the Tuskegee Airmen flew numerous combat missions, piloting aircraft like the P-51 Mustang, and earned a distinguished reputation by destroying over 250 enemy aircraft during their deployments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman De’Quan Simmons) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Heritage Park gained even more heritage during an unveiling ceremony to honor the late Maj. Lewis J. Lynch, 332nd Fighter Group P-51 Mustang pilot, and Tuskegee Airman. The ceremony, which took place on his birthday of Oct. 5, designated a park bench at Scott Field Heritage Air Park in his honor. His daughter, Robyn, and son, David, along with friends and 375th Air Mobility Wing senior leaders, gathered in his memory. The family of Maj. Lewis, J. Lynch, 332nd Fighter Group P-51 Mustang pilot and Tuskegee Airman, unveil a bench renamed in his honor, at Scott Field Heritage Park, on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Oct. 4, 2024. During World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American pilots to serve in the U.S. military. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman De’Quan Simmons) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Robyn and David reflected on memories from their childhood when their father was stationed at Scott, where he eventually retired from active duty in 1964. Lynch passed away in 2007. “I think he’d be overjoyed,” said David in an interview with Fox 2 News. “He’s modest and would say, ‘Aw shucks.’” The Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots in U.S. military history, trained at Tuskegee Air Field during World War II. 992 pilots graduated from the program, completing 1,578 combat missions and flying 15,533 sorties. Their efforts destroyed 261 enemy aircraft and earned more than 850 medals for their distinguished service. A bench renamed in the honor of Maj. Lewis J. Lynch, 332nd Fighter Group P-51 Mustang pilot and Tuskegee Airman, on display at Scott Field Heritage Park, on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Oct. 4, 2024. In 1941, the U.S. Army established the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama as part of a program to train African American pilots, recognizing the need for qualified aviators amidst a growing demand for air support in the war. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman De’Quan Simmons) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “Just don’t forget the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen,” said Victor Dorset, Advisory Member of the Lewis Lynch Tuskegee Chapter to Fox 2 News. “The barriers they broke through—like I say, they opened a lot of doors for a lot of individuals.”