01/20/2026
Happy Birthday Howard Lee Baugh 🎉
Original Tuskegee Airmen
January 20, 1920 - August 23, 2008
Howard Lee Baugh was born in Petersburg, VA on January 20, 1920 10 Carrie Rawlings Baugh and William Harrison Baugh. The second of 5 siblings, Howard attended public schools in Petersburg and Brooklyn, NY. He graduated from Virginia State College (University) in 1941 and married his college sweetheart, Constance Jeanette Layne of Geneseo, NY on February 21, 1942. In March 1942, Howard entered the U.S. Army Air Corps Class 42J as an Aviation Cadet. He successfully completed pilot training at famed Tuskegee (Alabama) Army Air Field in November of 1942 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. In July 1943, he was assigned to the 99th Fighter Squadron in Sicily. Flying from Sicily and other locations within Italy, he flew 135 combat missions in P-40 Warhawk and P-51 Mustang Fighters. 1.n January 1944, Baugh recorded 1.5 Aerial Victories in air-to-air combat action against German FW-190 Fighter Bombers over Anzio. For his 16 months in combat during WWII, Howard was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Distinguished Unit Citation, National Service Defense Medal, and WWII Victory Medal. During 25 years of active duty in the USAF, he registered 6,000 pilot hours, including 250 combat hours. Throughout his military career, Howard flew (l 7) different types of military aircraft to include I, I00 hours in (4) types of jet airplanes. Upon his retirement from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) in 1967, he embarked on a second career with Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, NY. Howard retired from Kodak in 1984 and he and his wife Constance moved back to Petersburg. The 1995 HBO movie "Tuskegee Airmen" finally brought some notoriety to these otherwise unsung American heroes. Soon, Howard was much sought after for speaking engagements. He embraced this calling and excelled at it. TI1roughout his retirement, Howard was invited to Schools, Colleges & Universities, Military Bases, Groups, Organizations, Companies, and even Prisons to share his personal insight into the Tuskegee Airmen story. He particularly enjoyed talking with young people and always extolled the importance of getting a “good education”. He would remind all who would listen that it was a "good education" that afforded him the opportunity 10 succeed as a Tuskegee Airmen and also provided him the wherewithal 10 live a happy and fruitful life. In 2003, The Howard Baugh Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. was founded in Petersburg in his honor. In 2004, the Observation Deck at Chesterfield County Airport was named in his honor. In a June 2004 ceremony in Paris. the French Government presented Howard and 3 other Original Tuskegee Airmen with that nation's highest military award, the French Legion of Honor. In 2006, Howard was inducted into The Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame. In 2006, Howard was selected as one of Dominion's "Strong Men & Women of Virginia' In a March 2007 ceremony in Washington, D.C. honoring the triumphant accomplishments and lasting contributions of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, he and 300 other Original Tuskegee Airmen were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress. Howard Lee Baugh departed this life on August 23, 2008 at the age of 88. He was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Constance and his older brother, William. LTC Baugh was laid to rest with Full Military Honors at Arlington National Cemetery next to his wife Constance. The legacy of Howard Lee Baugh will continue through his (3) sons; (2) daughters-in-law; (4) grandchildren; (4) great grandchildren; (2) sisters; (I) brother; (I) brother-in-law; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, admirers and countless others around the world whose lives he touched and inspired.
