WASHINGTON — Curtis C. Robinson Sr., a 90-year-old Orangeburg native who flew combat missions as a Tuskegee Airman, died Monday.

Robinson graduated from Claflin College in 1940 with a degree in chemistry. He taught school for two years in Spartanburg.

In the summer of 1941, Robinson was accepted into the Tuskegee Army Airfield Cadet Training program in Tuskegee, Ala. He and his two older brothers would all become military officers and set a record – three African-American officers from one family — in 1943.

He became a Tuskegee Airman fighter pilot and was sent to Italy, where he flew 33 combat missions in Anzio with the 99th Fighter Squadron. The Airmen were the first group of black fighter pilots allowed into the U.S. Army Air Corps.

In 1944, Robinson became a flight instructor who trained new Tuskegee cadets until the war ended a year later.

After his service to his country, no airline would let him apply to become a pilot.

Robinson then enrolled in the Howard University School of Pharmacy in 1948. He graduated in 1952 and bought his first pharmacy soon thereafter.

Robinson expanded his business, eventually owning and operating six pharmacies in Washington. He closed his last pharmacy in January 2008.

Throughout his life, Robinson distinguished himself.

He was the first treasurer of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. in 1973. He was a recipient of the Howard University School of Pharmacy achievement award in 2003.

Robinson was a 2004 inductee into the Claflin University Hall of Fame. In 2007, he received a Congressional Gold Medal as a Tuskegee Airman. Robinson is also the subject of a book, “A Pilot’s Journey.”

Claflin President Dr. Henry N. Tisdale said Robinson’s death is a great loss for the university, Orangeburg and the nation. Tisdale said Robinson was a remarkable alumnus.

“He was a visionary. He dared to be a Tuskegee Airman despite the restraints African-Americans faced at that time. His courage and tenacity are what our students strive to embody today,” Tisdale said.

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