TWINSBURG, Ohio — A funeral service for Asa Newman, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen—the first African-American unit to fly combat airplanes in World War II—was held in Twinsburg Friday, honoring his legacy and saying goodbye.
Newman died on May 19 at the age of 102.
A Cleveland native, Newman graduated from East High in 1936 and moved to Chicago in 1939 to attend college. Newman was a member of the 99th Pursuit Squadron and served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during WWII.
Newman later worked for the IRS, as well as the University of Chicago, where he became chief operator of a cyclotron, working in nuclear research.
Friends and family gathered at Crown Hill Mausoleum to pay tribute to Newman.
“He is a hero to me and to a lot of people he’s an absolute hero. And this honor should be done, even bigger than this," said Eldora Levert, President of the North Coast Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen Inc.
After the funeral service, a flyover was conducted in honor of Newman.
“A hero, he is now a lonely eagle, and the flyover signifies that," Levert said.
In lieu of flowers, Newman's family requested donations be made to the North Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen.
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