Clarence "jamie" Jamison

Clarence Clifford “Jamie” Jamison (1918 – 2014)

Clarence Clifford Jamison was a pioneering aviator who was a member of the famed 99th Pursuit Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group remembered as the Tuskegee Airmen. On June 2, 1943, he led his flight on the first combat mission involving black pilots in World War II.

Jamison was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on February 25, 1918, the third son of seven children. In 1923, the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Clarence began his schooling in Cleveland from the Bolton Elementary School through Central High School. With an interest in medicine and an eye towards a career in that field, Clarence applied to and was accepted at the University of Chicago where he studied medical bacteriology.

 While living in Chicago with an uncle and attending University of Chicago, Clarence learned about the United States Government sponsored Civilian Pilot Training Program. Clarence completed his 72 hours of ground training and 50 hours of flight training, earning his civilian pilot’s license during 1940. He learned about the formation of the first African American squadron being formed by the United States Army Air Corps. Realizing that the program offered the opportunity for him to serve as an officer, he applied to the Tuskegee Army Air Field training program. He was accepted and graduated on August 21, 1941.

April 1942 would be an eventful month for Clarence. On April 18, 1942, he married Phyllis Louise Piersawl (1921 – 1995), and the couple would be married for 53 years until Phyllis’ death, and they had two children.

Eleven days later, on April 29, 1942, Clarence graduated from the Tuskegee Army Air Field. His class, SE-42-D, was only the second class to graduate the program. Despite being ready to serve, it would take several more classes of graduates before the 99th Fighter Squadron had the prerequisite number of pilots to officially form. During the wait, the pilots continued to train and prepare. In April 1943 the unit fully intact was sent to North Africa. Clarence completed 67 combat missions and was awarded the Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters.

Clarence Jamison retired from the military in 1963 with the rank of Lt. Colonel including service during the Korean War. His finance and accounting experience he learned during his post-World War II military career was put to good use for another 23 years, with Lt. Col. Jamison eventually retiring from a career at the Social Security Administration.

During 2006, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Public Service by Tuskegee University. About a year later, on March 29, 2007, President George W. Bush collectively awarded the Tuskegee Airmen the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service during the war, but also, for their courage in pursuing equality in the military services.

Clarence Jamison passed away of natural causes on March 6, 2014, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was 96 years old. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.