James Clayton Flowers Explained

Honorific Prefix:	First Lieutenant
James Clayton Flowers
Birth Date:	25 December 1915
Birth Place:	Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S.
Allegiance:	United States of America
Branch:	United States Army Air Force
Serviceyears:	1940–1945
Rank:	First Lieutenant 1st Lieutenant (Army Air force)
Unit:	99th Fighter Squadron 332nd Fighter Group
Spouse:	Evelyn Lorraine Flowers, 1919–2008 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109385839/evelyn-lorraine-flowers
Laterwork:	Teacher in New York

James Clayton Flowers (born December 25, 1915) is an American retired military pilot who served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.

Early life

James Clayton Flowers was born on December 25, 1915 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.^[1]

Military service

He was a pilot with the 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group for five years.^[2]

Later life

After the war, he and his wife Evelyn started a family. Flowers worked as a school teacher in the New York School System. After retirement he and his wife relocated to New Mexico.^[3] They had two children.^[4] New Mexico held a ceremony to honor the Tuskegee Airmen in March 2014. Flowers was present for the dedication at the New Mexico Veterans' Memorial.^[5] He turned 100 on December 25, 2015.^[6]

Awards

• Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen in 2006^[7]

See also

• Executive Order 9981
• List of Tuskegee Airmen
• Military history of African Americans
• The Tuskegee Airmen (movie)

Further reading

• The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939-1949^[8]
• "Born to Fly the Skies." Weirton Daily Times (Weirton, W.Va.) 23 February 2013. Web. 17 January 2014.
• "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Listing." Tuskegee University, 2014, Web. 17 January 2014.

References

Notes

External links

• • Tuskegee Airmen at Tuskegee University
• Tuskegee Airmen Archives at the University of California, Riverside Libraries.
• Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
• Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
• Tuskegee Airmen National Museum
• Fly (2009 play about the 332d Fighter Group)
• James Clayton Flowers Interview

Notes and References

1. Web site: Spearman . Warren . In the presence of heroes, yesterday's and today's . holloman.af.mil . United States Air Force . 10 August 2020.
2. News: Taylor . Spencer . Veterans and friends honor Tuskegee Airman James Clayton Flowers in Las Cruces . 10 August 2020 . Las Cruces Sun News . 1 September 2019.
3. Web site: Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 61 . congress.gov . Library of Congress . 10 August 2020.
4. News: Montero . Savannah . Memorial concert at NMSU to honor local hero, Tuskegee Airman Williams . 10 August 2020 . New Mexico State university . 18 October 2017.
5. News: Tuskegee Airmen Honored at Event . 10 August 2020 . Albuquerque Journal . 28 March 2014.
6. Web site: Tuskegee Airman James Clayton Flowers turned 105 on Christmas Day. Las Cruces Sun News. 16 January 2021.
7. News: . Tuskegee Airmen Gold Medal Signed Into Law . Press Release . . April 11, 2006 . 2008-11-26.
8. Book: Caver . Joseph . Ennels . Jerome A. . Haulman . Daniel Lee . The Tuskegee Airmen: An Illustrated History, 1939-1949 . 2011 . New South Books . Montgomery . 978-1588382443 . 394 . 6 February 2020.