Main Street Tree Honors Memory of Sag Harbor Residents Who Served as Tuskegee Airmen
From the Sag Harbor Express
Clutching black and white photographs of their fathers, Martin and Michael Butler and Lora Rene Tucker stood on Sag Harbor Main Street outside the Grenning Gallery, under the shade of a young red maple tree, in front of a small crowd that had assembled there on Sunday afternoon.
They were there to honor and keep alive the memory of the men in those photos: Lemuel Tucker and Charles M. Butler — young, but bearing a look of seriousness of intent, sharply dressed in collared shirts, ties and jackets, wearing the caps of military service members.
Tucker and Butler are two of seven men, former Sag Harbor residents, who served in World War II as members of the Tuskegee Air Force 332nd Fighter Group.
The Tuskegee Airmen, as the pilots in that group became known, have a special place in American history, because they were the first airplane pilots of color to serve in the U.S. military.
The red maple tree that was planted on Main Street in front of the gallery in 2023 has been dedicated to them and their service to the country. A small plaque embedded in the soil surrounding the tree states that the tree is “for the courageous men and women of the 332nd Fighter Group Tuskegee Air Force.”
The tree was donated, planted and maintained by the Sag Harbor Tree Fund, which raises funds through grants and donations, and plants trees along village streets to replace those lost to storms, disease, or old age.
Both Lora Rene Tucker and Michael Butler spoke about their fathers and their service, and put it in historical context, at the ceremony on Sunday.
There are now fewer than 10 members of the Tuskegee Air Force 332nd Fighter Group left alive, and none of those remaining living members was actually a pilot — all were support staff. Tucker and Butler spoke about the importance of keeping the memory of those veterans alive, and the special place they hold in the country’s history.
“The military, as well as other parts of the country, are under great strain, great stress, great moments of questioning their abilities to conduct their duties in a competent and professional manner,” Butler said to those gathered, while clutching the large frame that held the photo of his father, as well as many of his Army medallions.
Martin Butler stood nearby, holding their father’s honorable discharge paperwork signed by the U.S. Army. “We know what these men and women of the 332nd fighter group were able to accomplish during the time of Jim Crow and overt racism and discrimination. Nevertheless, they went forward and were able to achieve, to educate themselves, become proficient in their lines of duty, and thus served their country and helped to win World War II.”
Judith Henriques Adams, the daughter of another Tuskegee Airman, Albert G. Henriques, was at the ceremony. Her father died last month, just three months shy of his 100th birthday, Butler noted. “Many of them have passed away, but there’s something to be said of their longevity,” he said.
Tucker, who is currently writing a story about how she discovered that her father was a Tuskegee Airman, spoke as well.
“These men and women were patriots, but they weren’t arrogant,” she said. “They were humble and they did their job. They never saw themselves as heroes. But guess what? I do.”
Lemuel Tucker served 10 years in the U.S. Army, including with his time with the Tuskegee Airmen, from 1942 until the end of the war. He was nominated out of high school to attend West Point but instead went to Lincoln University.
After graduating, he went straight to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama — an all-Black college in Tuskegee, Alabama, founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington. According to his daughter, Tucker was part of the flight instructors squad and was one of 51 Tuskegee Airmen chosen to fly unarmed planes on reconnaissance missions.
He served in all three theaters in the war — Europe, the Pacific and Africa — and continued serving, including in the Korean War, after World War II was over. After serving a decade in the military, Tucker became a clinical psychologist.
Butler was one of several Tuskegee Airmen who served in the crucial role as a mechanic, working on the planes flown in the war by the pilots. Only about 20 percent of the men in the unit served as pilots; the rest had important support roles on the ground.
Butler served in Italy and throughout Europe during the war, his son Michael Butler said. The Butler brothers, who are twins, were joined at the ceremony on Sunday by their nephew Darin Hopson.
Michael Butler credited Alison Bond with helping to bring everyone together for the tree dedication. Butler said that, until recently, he’d only been aware of four local Sag Harbor men who had been Tuskegee Airmen: his father, Tucker, Roscoe Browne and Henry Letcher.
But as he started to put the word out that there was a tree dedication planned, more people came forward, sharing that their family members had served. The list on Sunday included Albert G. Henriques, George F. Henry and Harold A. Hillery, as well.
While none of those men is still alive, Tucker spoke about the duty that she and other descendants bear to share their stories. “We are now responsible for getting this history out there and passing it on,” she said.
