Mathematics to the Military
Arkansan Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Crockett had a long, successful career in the military. He was a Tuskegee Airman in WWII, flew in 45 flights in the Korean War, and worked with the Pentagon from 1960-1970 to integrate the Air National Guard.
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Crockett was born on August 31, 1918, to William and Lucinda Crockett, who both taught elementary school in Homan, Arkansas, near Texarkana. Woody attended school in Homan until the eighth grade, when he moved to Little Rock to attend the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, one of the only high schools for African-Americans in the state. At Dunbar, Crockett discovered that his favorite subject was math. He was so far ahead of the other students that when he continued on to junior college, he taught his instructor’s math classes while she was gone for a few weeks. Crockett hoped to get his Ph.D. in math but even though he was working 12 hours a day as a dishwasher, he still could not pay for tuition. Instead he decided to enter the military for a few years before returning to school.
The Woody Crockett Character Collection was developed by UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture intern Emily Phillips. Phillips is a UA Little Rock Donaghey Scholar, double majoring in Anthropology and Spanish. She plans to graduate in May of 2018. Phillips also plays fiddle, banjo, and other traditional instruments in the Lazy Goat String Band based out of Mountain View, Arkansas, and with the Bow Tanglers in the central Arkansas area. After graduation, she aspires to continue sharing the history of old-time music with others through programs in schools and at other music events.
The Tuskegee Airmen in World War II
When Crockett entered the military in 1940, he was assigned to the first black field artillery regiment, the 349th, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After being commended as a Model Soldier who exhibited "high technical skill" and "soldierly qualities of leadership, loyalty, and initiative," Crockett transferred to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to join a segregated unit of African American Army Air Corps cadets. As a cadet, he excelled as a pilot, finding that his skills in math helped him calculate the correct trajectory for his targets.
The group of African American pilots and staff who trained at Tuskegee between the years of 1941 and 1946 are known as the "Tuskegee Airmen." Upon entering World War II, they quickly earned a reputation for their few losses when protecting American bombers. The red paint on the tails of their aircraft led to the nickname the “Red Tails,” and their reputation caused the Germans to call them the “Black Birdmen.” In addition to the red paint, pilots often painted the name of their planes on the sides. Crockett’s was the “Daisy Mae” after his wife Daisy McMurray. Crockett flew 149 missions from 1944-1945 and received two Soldier’s Medals for rescuing pilots from burning aircraft, among countless other honors. The undeniable success of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II was a key step in achieving military integration.
Korean War and Late Military Career
After World War II, Crockett remained in the military. His first post-war role was as a Radiological Safety Officer of atomic bomb tests, then he flew another 45 missions as a Korean War jet-fighter pilot. After Korea, he attended the Air Force Command and Staff College before becoming Squadron Commander of the 2nd All-Weather Fighter Squadron.
In 1958 he was a test pilot of the new F-106, and in the same year achieved the highest aeronautical ranking in the military, Command Pilot. He worked in the Pentagon to help integrate the Air National Guard from 1960 to 1970, when he retired as Lieutenant Colonel.
Retirement
In his retirement, Crockett continued to work as an Equal Opportunity Officer for the National Guard Bureau until 1977, and lectured on the Tuskegee Airmen in the D.C. area. In 1994, he escorted President Bill Clinton and the British Prime Minister John Major to the Aviator's Wall in Madingley Cemetery near Cambridge, England.
In his free time, Crockett was an avid tennis player and won gold medals in many sports in the Senior Olympics of Fairfax County, Virginia, and the Golden Olympics. He and his wife of 58 years, Daisy, were both involved in the National Dunbar Alumni Association, taking part in reunions and fundraising.
Crockett died in 2012, leaving behind four children and a legacy that helped strengthen the case for integration in the military and in the United States as a whole.
Awards and Honors
Woodrow “Woody” Crockett was one of the “Tuskegee Airmen,” an African-American pilot trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, who was influential in integrating the military. Throughout his military and government service careers, he received many honors for his 30 years of service, including 149 missions in World War II and 45 missions in Korea:
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- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Presidential Unit Citation
- Two Soldier's Medals
- Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
- Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
- Arkansas Traveler Award
- Inducted into Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame in 1992
- Inducted into Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 1995