FORT WORTH, Texas — There was a time when the military forced pilots of color to train and fly separately from white airmen. That is when a group of determined soldiers made their stand. Robert Tennerson McDaniel was one of those men.
On Thursday, the community said goodbye to him. McDaniel was Fort Worth's last surviving member of the elite Tuskegee Airmen.
"Things changed because he refused to sign a piece of paper," said Robert Mennefee, McDaniel's son. "He set an example for us so that we can go on and further his legacy."
What he and the Tuskegee Airmen did in 1945 led to change for people of color in service.
After World War II, McDaniel became a teacher and principal in the Fort Worth Independent School District. He continued to be a positive influence in the community.
Family, friends, veterans, and even fellow Tuskegee Airman Homer Hogues attended McDaniel's celebration of life at the Shioh Missionary Baptist Church.
McDaniel was escorted to his final resting place at the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery.