Luther Smith's Airport

In 1927 when Luther Smith was 7 years old, he was captivated by the journey of Charles Linberg's solo flight from New York to Paris. This was the beginning of a life-long fascination with aviation. He and his brother would walk five miles to the Des Moines Municipal Airport just to look at the planes. When he turned 13, the employees at the airport had gotten so used to having him around that they offered him a job. He started by cleaning up the area where many came to watch the planes, but within a few weeks he was invited to assist the mechanics. Smith was overjoyed to get a closer look at the planes and soaked up everything he could. The Des Moines Register (the local newspaper) ran a story on him, naming him "America's Youngest Grease Ball".

During that time the United States Postal Service had just begun using airmail. They were unwilling to pay the commercial airlines the extra money it would have cost to ship the mail, so they ended up using military aviators. As an assistant mechanic, Smith became acquainted with many of these gentleman and they became his heroes.

During the 30's there were no African American military aviators, but this did not stop Smith from building a dream. After graduating high school, Smith attended the University of Iowa where he studied engineering.In January of 1941 the government decided to establish a "separate, but equal" facility in Tuskegee, Alabama, where the first African American military aviators could be trained.In 1942, Smith was accepted for training and that was the beginning of his career. He received his wings in May of 1943 and went to combat from there.

"We were given the same training, we wore the same uniforms, we were given the same types of aircrafts. It was exactly the same, but segregated," recounted Smith during an interview given December 12, 2006 on the Pennsylvania Cable Network. "The significant thing about our training at Tuskegee was the commanding officer of the base was a white Colonel who was dedicated to make sure that these young black American military cadets were going to be given an opportunity to be trained as military aviators as good as they could be taught." Though all the cadets were black, all of the instructors were white and Smith talked about feeling like he was on an "oasis" of integration in the very segregated south. He talks about how in some ways the military had a seamless transition into integration, in that since they were already wearing the same uniform and doing the same jobs, black soldiers were well equipped to join the whites. However when the 99th squad, the first all black squad of Tuskegee Airman, were initially deployed for a mission in North Africa, there were greeted with annoyance by their white counterpart, and not given the same amount of on the ground support. It was extremely difficult for them to get acclimatized to desert combat. In the end they were able to persevere and the program continued.

Smith became a Tuskegee Airman and flew 133 successful missions during WWII. On Friday, October 13, 1944 Smith's plane was shot down over Hungary. He went into a tailspin and his leg was trapped inside the plane. His oxygen mask was ripped from his face. He lost consciousness and miraculously was able to parachute out, though he landed in a tree and broke his hip. German soldiers rescued him and he became a prisoner of war. Though they hospitalized him and gave him the best treatment they had available, by the time he returned to the States in July of 1945, he was completely malnourished and permanently disabled. He weighed 70lbs and had to be hospitalized for the next 2 years.

After 2 years, a committee determined that he was no longer fit to serve, so he retired and returned to the University of Iowa to complete his degree in engineering. He was warned that he might face difficulty getting a job, but this did not discourage him from continuing his studies. He graduated in 1950 and while the government had instituted an equal opportunities employment policy, he was still unable to find employment, as no one wanted to hire a black, disabled veteran. He went on about 60 interviews. Then he applied for a position with General Electric. After a few weeks they sent him a rejection letter. Then a few weeks later he received another letter from them rescinding their rejection and inviting him to interview in person. Unbeknown to Smith, his wife had contact GE and shamed them for looking at Smith's color and not his experience and qualifications. It worked and Smith worked for GE for the next 37 years.

Here is a man who has literally given life and limb for his country, who has succeeded against all obstacles to become one of the first black military aviators and a graduate engineer. My Uncle Jimmy, and other like minded souls are currently embroiled in the stuggle to rename the Des Moines Municipal Airport in honor of Luther Smith. But for whatever reason, no one seems to be listening.

Though I was born in Des Moines, I only lived there for two years. Still I return often to visit my family and I feel a sense of connection to the people there. I come from a long line of Iowans. My great-grandmother established the first black beauty school in the state of Iowa and my grandfather was one of the first black dentist allowed to study dentistry. Being black in Iowa (well in the US in general), in those times, was no day at the park, and yet there are these amazing individuals who did what they could to live their lives with meaning and dignity. Luther Smith is one of these people and I would like to see him honored. What better way to pay tribute than to rename the place that first nicknamed him as "America's Youngest Grease Ball."