Elwood T. Driver

Major

Elwood T. Driver
young man in US lieutenant uniform faces the camera
Nickname(s)Woody
Born(1921-08-20)August 20, 1921
Trenton, New Jersey U.S.
DiedMarch 26, 1992(1992-03-26) (aged 70)
Reston, Virginia, USA
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branch
Years of service1942-1962
RankFlight Commander
UnitTuskegee Army Air Field
Awards
Alma mater
Spouse(s)Shirley Martin
Children1

Elwood "Woody" T. Driver (August 20, 1921 – March 26, 1992) was an American aviator who served as a Tuskegee Airman during World War II. He flew 123 missions and he is given credit for one confirmed kill. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter nominated Driver to be a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Early life

Elwood Driver was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He had three siblings. While attending Trenton State College, he earned his pilot's license.[1] He graduated from college in 1942.[2] Later he attended New York University and earned an MS in safety engineering.[3]

Driver married Shirley Martin in 1960. He had one son, Timothy, from a previous marriage.[2]

Career

P-51 "Redtail" aircraft showing red markings.[N 1]
Class 42-I Left to right: Nathaniel M. Hill, Marshall S. Cabiness, Herman A. Lawson, William T. Mattison, John A. Gibson, Elwood T Driver, Price D. Rice, Andrew D. Turner

Driver signed up for the Army Air Corps in 1942. He became a Tuskegee Airman and was sent to the European Theatre where he recorded an aerial combat kill over Anzio, Italy. He retired from the Air force as a Major in 1962.[2]

Driver worked with the National Transportation Safety Board beginning in 1967.[2] In 1978, he was nominated to be a member of the Safety Board and served from 1978 to 1980.[5]

Driver held a board of director position at Howard University.[3]

Awards and honors

In 2006, a Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to Tuskegee Airmen, including Driver.[6]

Death

On May 26, 1992, Driver died at his home in Reston, Virginia from liver cancer.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Maj. Elwood "Woody" T. Driver, USAF". Air and Space. Smithsonian Institution Air and Space Museum. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lambert, Bruce (April 4, 1992). "Elwood Driver, 70, Wartime Pilot and Transportation Safety Expert". New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Elwood Driver, Safety Official, Tuskegee Airman, Dies at 70". The Washington Post. 1992. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Archived June 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
  5. ^ "National Transportation Safety Board Nomination of Elwood T. Driver To Be a Member". Presidency UCSB. The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  6. ^ Kruzel, John J. (March 30, 2007). "President, Congress Honor Tuskegee Airmen". Army. U.S. Army. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2019.

Notes

  1. ^ The Tuskegee Airmen became known for flying the P-51 "Redtail" aircraft that sported distinctive red markings that included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder. Their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.[4]