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General Charles E. McGee was posthumously inducted into the Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine on December 17 by the First Flight Society.

McGee, who lived to be 102 years old, was one of the first aviators to graduate from the Army’s Tuskegee Institute during a time of segregation in America. The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of all African American military pilots who served during World War II.

At the 121^st Wright Brothers Day anniversary celebration luncheon in Kitty Hawk, General McGee was honored in the presence of his three children. His son Ronald McGee gave the keynote address on the topic of firsts.

The Wright Brothers overcame significant setbacks and adversity in 1903 leading up to their momentous first. “But in doing so you sparked the imagination of those that follow you with a desire that cannot be extinguished,” McGee said.

One of those imaginations that were sparked belonged to his father. He recalled his father’s “Four Ps of Life – perceive, prepare, perform, and persevere” and shared a statement his father repeated many times: “Dream your dreams, and don’t limit yourself to the possibilities available to you.”

General McGee followed his own dreams of becoming a pilot.

“The first African American military pilots resulted from an experiment from the military, the United States Army Air Forces. My father was a part of that experiment. They later became known as the Tuskegee Airmen,” Ronald McGee said.

According to his son, after completing his first flight, Charles McGee said he knew he had made the right decision in making aviation his career.

Over his 30-year military career, General McGee flew a record 409 combat missions in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star Medal. He received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007, and in 2011 was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on February 4, 2020, and continued flying even as a centenarian.

“I know Dad would be exceeding proud of the recognition he received today because the First Flight Society memorializes the Wright brothers, the two men that actually sparked dad’s interest and led him on his path on the firsts that occurred in his life,” McGee said.

First Flight Society president Michael Fonseca presented General McGee’s children – Ronald McGee, Charlene McGee and Yvonne McGee – with a certificate of induction to the Paul E. Garber Shrine and a portrait of their father.

Charlene McGee said the family was honored by the society’s induction of their father.

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