Charles McGee, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, died at the age of 102 on Sunday morning.
According to a family spokesperson, McGee died in his sleep.
McGee served in the military for 30 years and flew 400+ fighter combat missions over three wars.
He had received numerous accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 and the National Business Aviation Association's Meritorious Service to Aviation Award in 2012.
He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2011.
'Tuskegee Airmen' was the moniker given to the first group of African American military aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The group got the name on account of the fact that its members trained at facilities in Tuskegee, Alabama.
Many of its members had enlisted from the Jim Crow South, where they were subject to racial discrimination and segregation in their everyday lives.
The U.S. Armed Forces were also segregated at the time of WWII, and many Tuskegee Airmen experienced racism from white officers.
Despite experiencing prejudice from the very country and military they served, the group became legendary for its prowess in the field of battle.
Per The New York Times, the Tuskegee Airmen’s ability to protect bombers was 'excellent,' and the group lost 'only 27 bombers on seven of its 179 escort missions, compared to an average of 46 bomber losses among all other 15th Air Force P-51 escort groups.'
McGee’s family released a statement asking everyone to ‘remember the importance and significance of the legacy he left, all of his fellow Tuskegee Airmen, and everyone who played a role in the support and protection of American democracy.’