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SA Tuskegee Airman dies at 95

Theodore Johnson didn't talk much about his experience as one of the first black aviators in the U.S. military until he joined the SA chapter of Tuskegee Airmen.

SAN ANTONIO — Theodore Johnson made a mark on history as a Tuskegee Airman, but he didn’t talk much about his experiences until later in life.

"I said my dad was a man of few words, especially when it came to himself," said his daughter, Muriel Johnson.

He was a man of few words, but his life spoke for itself.

"When he would sit and talk, that's when you listened, because he didn't talk much about for a long time," Johnson said. 

His service was a part of her father's life she didn’t know much about.

"When I would try to talk to him about it, he would close up," she said.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps, back when people of color weren’t allowed to become pilots. Johnson, born in 1924, overcame all odds.

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He mostly kept his experiences to himself until he became part of the San Antonio chapter of Tuskegee Airmen.

"He started going to the events and everything started coming out," Johnson said.

Her father broke out of his shell and began opening up to people about everything he’s been through. Before passing away, he received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015.

His funeral will be held on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, and he will be buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Wednesday.

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