Calvin Spann, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, died Sunday at his Texas home, a family member confirmed to News 8.
"Dad passed away this morning," read a text from a family member to News 8's Sebastian Robertson.
Spann was 90 years old.
He earned his wings from the Tuskegee flight school, joining an elite squadron of African-American pilots — the first in the military's history.
Manning a signature red-tailed fighter plane, he and about 350 other African-American pilots escorted bombers across Europe during World War II.
Spann flew 26 combat missions, including a 1,600-mile round trip mission on March 24, 1945 from Ramitelli, Italy to Berlin, Germany to destroy the Daimler-Benz manufacturing plant, according to the Dallas Love Field Frontiers of Flight Museum.
News 8 featured Spann on his 90th birthday in November 2014.
"You read about a person, and then the person appears. I hope that I stand up to their expectations," Spann said.
Spann moved to the Dallas area in 2006 to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren.
In his later years, Spann spoke to churches and schools about his battles with racial discrimination and how he found success as a combat pilot.
