Elwood T. Driver

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Major

Elwood T. Driver
young man in US lieutenant uniform faces the camera
Nickname(s)Woody
Born(1921-08-20)August 20, 1921
Trenton, New Jersey U.S.
DiedMarch 26, 1992(1992-03-26) (aged 70)
Reston, Virginia, USA
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branch
Years of service1942-1962
RankFlight Commander
UnitTuskegee Army Air Field
Awards
Alma mater
Spouse(s)Shirley Martin
Children1

Elwood "Woody" T. Driver (August 20, 1921 – March 26, 1992) was an American aviator who served as a Tuskegee Airman during World War II. He flew 123 missions and he is given credit for one confirmed kill. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter nominated Driver to be a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Early life[edit]

Elwood Driver was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He had three siblings. While attending Trenton State College, he earned his pilot's license.[1] He graduated from college in 1942.[2] Later he attended New York University and earned an MS in safety engineering.[3]

Driver married Shirley Martin in 1960. He had one son, Timothy, from a previous marriage.[2]

Career[edit]

P-51 "Redtail" aircraft showing red markings.[N 1]
Class 42-I Left to right: Nathaniel M. Hill, Marshall S. Cabiness, Herman A. Lawson, William T. Mattison, John A. Gibson, Elwood T Driver, Price D. Rice, Andrew D. Turner

Driver signed up for the Army Air Corps in 1942. He became a Tuskegee Airman and was sent to the European Theatre where he recorded an aerial combat kill over Anzio, Italy. He retired from the Air force as a Major in 1962.[2]

Driver worked with the National Transportation Safety Board beginning in 1967.[2] In 1978, he was nominated to be a member of the Safety Board and served from 1978 to 1980.[5]

Driver held a board of director position at Howard University.[3]

Awards and honors[edit]

In 2006, a Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to Tuskegee Airmen, including Driver.[6]

Death[edit]

On May 26, 1992, Driver died at his home in Reston, Virginia from liver cancer.[2]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Maj. Elwood "Woody" T. Driver, USAF". Air and Space. Smithsonian Institution Air and Space Museum. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lambert, Bruce (April 4, 1992). "Elwood Driver, 70, Wartime Pilot and Transportation Safety Expert". New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Elwood Driver, Safety Official, Tuskegee Airman, Dies at 70". The Washington Post. 1992. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Rice, Markus. "The Men and Their Airplanes: The Fighters." Archived June 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Tuskegee Airmen, 1 March 2000.
  5. ^ "National Transportation Safety Board Nomination of Elwood T. Driver To Be a Member". Presidency UCSB. The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  6. ^ Kruzel, John J. "President, Congress Honor Tuskegee Airmen". Army. U.S. Army. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2019.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The Tuskegee Airmen became known for flying the P-51 "Redtail" aircraft that sported distinctive red markings that included red bands on the noses of P-51s as well as a red rudder. Their P-51B and D Mustangs flew with similar color schemes, with red propeller spinners, yellow wing bands and all-red tail surfaces.[4]

External links[edit]

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