Clarence D. Lester | |
|---|---|
 Colonel Clarence Lester | |
| Nickname(s) | Lucky |
| Born | February 23, 1923 Richmond, Richmond City, Virginia, US |
| Died | March 17, 1986 (aged 63) Washington, District of Columbia, District Of Columbia, US |
| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, US |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | |
| Years of service | 1942–1969 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 322nd Fighter Squadron Tuskegee Airmen |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen |
Clarence D. "Lucky" Lester (February 23, 1923 – March 17, 1986) was an American fighter pilot who served in the 332nd Fighter Group, commonly known as the Tuskegee Airmen, during World War II. He was one of the first African-American military aviators in the United States Army Air Corps, the United States Army Air Forces and later the United States Air Force.[1][2]
Lester best known as one of two Tuskegee pilots who shot down three Focke-Wulf Fw 190 or Messerschmitt Bf 109 on a single mission; the other pilot was Captain Joseph Elsberry.[3][4] Lester flew a P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Miss Pelt."[1] He and Elsberry are two of only four Tuskegee Airmen to have earned three aerial victories in a single day of combat.[5]
- ^ a b Hardesty 2008
- ^ Homan & Reilly 2001, p. 136
- ^ Nalty 1989, p. 153
- ^ United States Air Force 2012
- ^ Tuskegee Airmen. "LEGACY - THE PEOPLE." https://tuskegeeairmen.org/legacy/the-people/