Frank Macon, Original Tuskegee Airman, Dies At 97

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Frank Macon, one of only two remaining original Tuskegee Airmen in Colorado, has died. He was 97.

Retired Air Force Col. Mark Dickerson, president of the Denver-based Hubert L. “Hooks” Jones Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc., called the longtime Colorado Springs resident an "icon" and a national hero in a statement announcing Macon's death.

“The Tuskegee Airmen … are a national treasure. Of the over 14,000 who were part of the Tuskegee experience, less than 50 are believed to remain with us. Their determination to perform with distinction despite challenges both at home and abroad made them true national heroes.”

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first group of African-American military pilots. They overcome racism and Jim Crow laws, and became instrumental to the United States' victory in World War II.

Macon grew up in Colorado Springs, knew he wanted to become a pilot at a young age and began designing planes at what is now Palmer High School, according to a report from The Gazette. He learned to fly at what is now the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Airfield.

Having trained with Tuskegee's Class 45A, Macon was unable to fight in World War II due to a flight training incident that left him with ruptured eardrums, his obituary states. He later worked at the Fort Carson military base, retiring after 23 years as head of aircraft maintenance.

“He was truly one of a great generation,” Dickerson told The Gazette. “So many people … have so much respect for him.”

The Associated Press contributed reporting.