OUR STORY

Born the eighth of nine children and raised in the small cotton and rice farming town of Bastrop, Louisiana before integration, Richard was challenged by his Dr. William Alexander, his H. V. Adams Elementary School Principal to “be okay with being different and to use your love for learning to soar the skies.”  Richard excelled in math, science and French, winning different local school and regional competitions.  Richard graduated with honors from Bastrop High School and was ranked 3^rd in his class and was named “Most Studious and Most Likely to Succeed” by his peers and School Administrators.  Upon graduation, Richard received a Congressional Appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and graduated in 1979 with his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering.

Richard believed that “Education was the great equalizer” and knew he had to be intentional and driven to overcome the odds of an African American small town boy from Southern Louisiana.

Inspired by the heroic legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, Richard also purposed to soar as an aviator and to make a difference.  Original Tuskegee Airmen Retired Colonel Charles E. McGee was Richard’s role model since their first meeting at the Air Force Academy in 1977.  Richard was amongst the few selected from the Air Force Academy to attend Pilot Training and was the only African American in his class to graduate from Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.  Richard kept soaring and has become a highly respected and recognized Air Force Officer, Aviator and Leader.

Richard flew over 3,500 cumulative hours in the    C-130 Hercules and the C-141 Starlifter aircraft and served as Chief Pilot in the 76^th Airlift Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, Among the support and global humanitarian missions,  Richard and his cadre of pilots were deployed in support of the 1990 Gulf War, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

For 24 years, Richard flew both domestic and international flights as a First Officer for United Airlines on the Boeing 737, 757, 767 and the 777,  accumulating over 16,000 combined military and commercial airlines flight hours before he was stricken with cancer. Richard spent countless hours mentoring young children, sharing his story and inspiring them to soar to greatness. He had an affinity for elementary and middle school students and purposed to ignite their curiosity and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Richard was a Life Member of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.; Immediate Past President of the Miami Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc; Immediate Past President of the Air Force Academy Way of Life Alumni Group; Former Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Southeast Region Vice President of the Organization of Black Airline Pilots Inc.  Richard was key in establishing annual outreach programs at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, celebrating Black History and the “Become A Pilot” Program to encourage youth to embrace aviation. Richard earned his eternal wings when God called him home on Wednesday morning, June 8, 2016.