Photo:AMurray/Bagcy– Burbank Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy, State Assemblyman Mike Gatto, Tuskegee Airman (retired) Lt. Colonel Robert “Bob”J. Friend Veterans Day Burbank November 11, 2013
A Veterans Day ceremony was held at the McCambridge Park War Memorial at the corner of Amherst Drive and San Fernando Road in Burbank on November 11, 2013. Tuskegee Airman (retired) Lt. Colonel Robert “Bob” J. Friend, 93, was the guest speaker. Among the acknowledgments, Friend received a certificate of recognition from the California Assembly.
Friend was one of the first African-American pilots to serve in the U.S. military. He trained at Tuskegee, Alabama. He was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group and was stationed in Europe during World War II. Tuskegee Airmen became famous for their skill and bravery. Their distinguished service is portrayed in the George Lucas film, “Red Tails” (2012) — which was named for the painted red tails of the pilots’ planes.
Photo courtesy André Murray of The Bern Agency.
