Vernon Sport
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Vernon Kingsley Sport | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 16, 1923 |
| Died | September 8, 2008 (aged 85) |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Army Air Corps |
| Rank | Captain squad commander |
| Unit | Tuskegee Airmen |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Tuskegee Airmen |
| Other work | President of the Brockton area naacp |
Vernon Kingsley Sport (July 16, 1923 – September 8, 2008)[1] was an American military aviator and member of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. In later life he worked for the cause of affirmative action.
Vernon Sport enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps immediately after graduating from high school. He requested a posting at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, the home field of the Tuskegee Airmen. Each time, he was turned down for lacking a college degree. In retrospect, "it was an exercise in determination. He continuously requested to try out for the airmen. He didn’t have a college education at that time, but he was very well-read," Dr. Alfred Wyatt, Sport's son-in-law, would note later.[1] Eventually, he would prevail, rising to the rank of captain squad commander. After leaving the Air Corps, Sport would earn a bachelor's degree from Suffolk University and a master's degree from Goddard College.[1]
