Lee A. Hayes - Bombardier WWII 1944-1946

Lt. Lee A. Hayes (1922-2013) was a member of the legendary all-black Tuskegee Airmen and trained as a B-25 Mitchell bomber pilot with the 477th Bombardment Group. During their service, the pilots faced racism both from inside and outside the military, which was racially segregated at the time. Upon returning home as a trained pilot, Mr. Hayes said he couldn’t find a job with the expanding commercial airline industry, which only hired white pilots.

This interview was recorded by Max Scott at Lee Hayes home in East Hampton, NY