Petersburg, Virginia

Inducted in 2006, Lt. Col. Howard Baugh was raised in Petersburg, Virginia.  He graduated from Virginia State College in 1941 and entered the U.S. Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet at the Tuskegee Army Airfield, Tuskegee, Alabama in March 1942.  In November, 1942 Baugh was awarded his Air Corp wings and commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.  He was one of only four cadets from class 42-J’s original 20 to graduate.  Lt. Baugh immediately joined the Army Air Corps 99th Fighter Squadron.  Flying out of Sicily and Italy, he flew 135 combat missions in P-40 and P-51 aircraft.  In January 1944, Lt. Baugh was credited with shooting down a German FW-190 fighter over Anzio beachhead.  After his tour in the European Theatre, he returned to the Tuskegee Army Airfield as an advanced instrument instructor.  He advanced to twin engine instructor in B-25s and was promoted to twin engine instructor Group Commander then to Director of Flying Training.  After his assignment at Tuskegee, Baugh continued his career as an educator with an appointment as Professor of Aerospace Studies, Air Force ROTC at Howard University in Washington, DC.  There he established the first AFROTC at a historically black college.  He moved on to the same position at Tennessee University in Nashville, Tennessee.  He further contributed to training future Air Force personnel when he was promoted to Chief of the Systems Planning Division Headquarters at Chanute Air Force Base, Ill.  Baugh’s military awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and Air Force Commendation medal.  He was awarded the French Legion of Honor by the French government in 2004 for his efforts in liberating France.  Lt. Col. Baugh retired from the Air Force in 1967 and retired from Eastman Kodak in 1984.

Photo courtesy of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.