Page 47 - Appendix A
P. 47
The 1970s
Larry “Jet” Jackson (See Jet’s expanded story in “Black Ceiling”)
“There were six black guys - Afro Americans - with fro' s in my 75-03 UPT class. That was done
intentionally by the Air Force as an experiment in 1973 because of the high UPT attrition rates
for blacks in the early 70's. All of us graduated. It was different for me in the fighter world. There
I was usually the only black guy in the Squadron. Because of my experience as the only black
Cadet in the AFROTC program at USC, I didn't walk into a Fighter Squadron conscious of being
the "only one." I led many large-scale missions, at times briefing 30 to 40 pilots in Mass goggles,
and never thought about my race or what others thought of my race. On the staff, I frequently
briefed General officers and never thought about anything other than having my "Sierra"
together.” (Flying Beyond The Barrier Memoirs by Forty African American Airline Pilots, 2015)
