My walk today was dedicated in honor of:
Army Air Force WWII Veteran Theodore Lumpkin Jr. Age 100 of Los Angeles, CA.
Died Dec. 26, 2020
He was drafted in 1942. After basic training, he completed officer cadet school. He made second lieutenant and assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron based at Tuskegee, Al. At the time the US military was segregated by race and this was an all black unit. Due to his eyesight, he bacame an air combat intelligence officer and briefed pilots before missions. He served in Italy in 1944 where the squadron acted as escorts for bombers and was based at the Ramitelli Air Base as part of the 332nd Fighter Group. Lumpkin left active service in Jan. 1946 with the rank of captain.
After the end of the war he became a member of the Air Force Reserves and finally retired in 1979 with the rank of lietuenant colonel. He was active in the postwar military association of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. as a national board member and also was president of the Los Angeles chapter.
He began working as a social worker in 1947 and in 1953 took a master’s degree in social work at University of Southern California.He later had his own real estate agency and continued to work in it when over 100.
He died 26 December 2020 of complications caused by COVID-19 at the age of 100.
We had a great 9.09 Mile walk today. I want to thank my friend Robert for walking with us today and I want to thank those who honked, waved, and saluted in helping me honor this hero today.
Army Air Force WWII Veteran Theodore Lumpkin Jr will not be forgotten !
