Scott's View: Honoring Former Veterans Advantage Member Bill Holloman this African American History Month

We hope you enjoy reading our profile of William “Bill” Holloman, a former Veterans Advantage member. Bill passed away a few years after we originally worked with him on the piece, but his legacy is alive and well today. As one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, he helped pioneer the way for millions of African Americans who later served our nation with honor.  "We were the forerunners of the civil rights movement. We opened the door…and it has taken years for people to recognize our contribution to the war," he once said. The achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen were recently celebrated in the movie “Red Tails,” starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.

And in recognition of African American History month, we wanted to take a moment to remember the story of Holloman, and so many other great Americans who came after him.

Here are the other great African Americans who were linked by military service and high achievement, profiled by Veterans Advantage over the years.

• Frank Miller, Former Dell Executive, Veterans Advantage Advisory Board member
• Clarice Joynes, Champion for New York City Veterans
• Sidney Poitier, actor
• Charles F. Bolden Jr., NASA administrator
• David Robinson, former NBA star
• Will Smith, Actor
• Harris Faulkner, journalist
• Michael Strahan, former NFL star
• Rachel Smith, former Miss USA
• Senate Chaplain Barry Black
• Chris Gardner, Author
• Duery Felton, Jr. Vietnam Veterans Museum Curator

For more on the importance of this month, learn more on this Library of Congress website about African American History Month.