AUSTELL, Ga. — One of the original Tuskegee Airman who lives in Georgia is celebrating his 100th birthday Sunday.
The Austell community is coming together to honor Dr. Hillard Warren Pouncy Jr. with a drive-by parade as he celebrates the amazing milestone.
The parade starts at 3 p.m. outside of the Presbyterian Village Homes at 2000 East West Connector in Austell.
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“Dr. Hillard Pouncy will be in his window waving as everyone drives through, maintaining social distancing, holding balloons, signs and flowers,” organizers said.
Pouncy, who is a Documented Original Tuskegee Airman (DOTA) will be honored with a birthday salute.
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Pouncy Jr. was born Feb. 8, 1922 in Prichard, Alabama, and grew up in Eufaula on the Chattahoochee River. He had never traveled more than 30 miles from home before he went to college at the Tuskegee Institute.
He went on to become one of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of nearly 1,000 Black pilots and bombardiers trained at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, from 1941-1946. He was a member of the 477th Bombardment Group.
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In 2007, Hillard was one of a group of retired Airmen who received the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of service during World War II. He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Syracuse University in 1958.
Pouncy met his wife, Mattie, at the Tuskegee Institute, and they were married for 60 years before her death in 2007. They have one son and one grandson. He is a world traveler has visited more than 40 different countries and four continents.
“My story is a simple one. In everything I did – whether for my country, my family, my people, or my Maker — I did my best. I am convinced this is the meaning of being a Tuskegee Airman,” he said.
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