Tuskegee Airman Born And Raised In Pittsburgh Dies At 93

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Tuskegee airman who was born and raised in Pittsburgh has passed away.

Chief Master Sergeant James Cotten was 93. He had more than 21 years of active military service -- including with America's first Black aviators -- and another 45 years of service with the defense department.

KDKA's Bob Allen talked to Cotten in 2013 when a Tuskegee Airmen's Memorial was unveiled in Sewickely.

Cotten was one the more than 100 western Pennsylvania residents who became Tuskegee Airmen.

During the war, the Tuskegee Airmen became one of the most decorated squadrons, flying in more than 1,500 combat missions.