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WATCH VIDEO: TUSKEGEE TRAILBLAZER: JOHN W. MOSLEY ------------------------- I’m Eric Mosley, son of Lt Col John W. Mosley Jr., a Tuskegee Airman and civil rights activist. I want to tell you

a little about my father and his legacy. He was born in 1921 and carved his path during an era of repression and segregation in Denver, Colorado. Fully aware of these challenges, he

excelled in school and forged opportunities where there were few. His commitment to service over self, whether in the Armed Forces or civil service, is evident by the legacies our family

created.  After graduating high school as valedictorian in 1939, dad earned a National Merit Scholarship. He used it to attend Colorado A&M in Fort Collins, now Colorado State

University. To say dad excelled in college is an understatement. A multitalented and ambitious man, he was an honor student, the first Black football player at Colorado A&M since 1906,

and the first Black player to letter in the sport. He was an undefeated regional wrestling champion and sang in school theatrical performances. Plus, his election as class vice president in

his junior and senior years further eroded racial boundaries.  Dad was in college when World War II was in full swing. Determined to serve as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps’ newly formed

program for Black pilots in Tuskegee, Alabama, he paid for flying lessons and a license.  In 1943, the military assigned him to Tuskegee. On August 4, 1944, dad graduated with the

twin-engine class, which learned to pilot B-25 medium bombers as part of the 477th Bombardment Group. However, the war ended before his squadron could deploy.  Determined to continue serving

his country, he joined the Air Force Reserves after the war. Dad served in Europe, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and stateside before retiring in 1970. After the Air Force, our family

settled in Aurora, and dad continued serving as a civil servant. Along with our trailblazing mother, Edna, dad was an avid activist and significantly impacted issues such as Veterans

affairs, housing, gender and racial equality. Their legacies around the Denver area include a scholarship for Black Denver students, a student-athlete program at CSU, a school in Aurora, and

the Lieutenant Colonel John W. Mosley Jr. VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Aurora, Colorado, which opened its doors in January 2025. To learn more about my father and the new VA

clinic named in his honor, please visit https://www.va.gov/eastern-colorado-health-care/about-us/history-stories/  Learn More About VA History