Flight of Our Ancestors
Photography by John Midgley
In 1942, at the request of the United States Army Air Corps, Haitian President Elie Lescot implemented an aviation corps to patrol the Caribbean Sea. The success of this program and the need for further military support led to the recruitment of Haitian pilots to support the United States.
A total of six pilots, five of which saw battle, left their island nation home to train for war in the segregated south. Their education was navigated within the regiments in Tuskegee, Alabama. The segregated military unit consisted of pilots, medics, paymasters, grounds crew, etc., all who served under the immense weight of a system built on discrimination.
In partnership with The Brooklyn Circus Founder and Creative Director, Ouigi Theodore, the Limited-Edition Capsule Collection shares the untold story of five Haitian pilots who served in the United States Army Air Corps during WWII.
The preservation of these powerful stories contributes to Ouigi’s 100-Year Plan to preserve history and protect the legacy of the brave heroes of the past.
