There were a couple of items in Thursday’s newspaper that may have flown under the radar.
They should not have. Both mark milestones.
First came word of the death of Luther Smith of Villanova.
Smith is no stranger to these pages. We have featured him many times. He was a member of the famed black Air Force unit the Tuskeegee Airmen, flying 133 combat missions over Europe in World War II.
In 2007, Smith was among 290 Tuskeegee Airmen who gathered in Washington, D.C., to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress.
But he was just as likely to be seen attending the Veterans Day Parade in Media, or taking part in an educational session at the Pa. Veterans Museum, or visiting a classroom to talk history with young students.
Smith did not merely talk about history, he lived it.
Speaking of history, Marrea Walker-Smith is about to make a bit of her own in Chester.
There will be a historic changing of the guard at the helm of the city’s Republican Party.
Former mayor and current state Sen. Dominic Pileggi is stepping down from his position as the GOP leader in the city.
Walker-Smith is in line to become the new party chief, marking two firsts along the way.
She becomes the first African-American to lead the city’s GOP, as well as the first woman.
Both are long overdue.
Congratulations to Walker-Smith.
They should not have. Both mark milestones.
First came word of the death of Luther Smith of Villanova.
Smith is no stranger to these pages. We have featured him many times. He was a member of the famed black Air Force unit the Tuskeegee Airmen, flying 133 combat missions over Europe in World War II.
In 2007, Smith was among 290 Tuskeegee Airmen who gathered in Washington, D.C., to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest civilian award bestowed by Congress.
But he was just as likely to be seen attending the Veterans Day Parade in Media, or taking part in an educational session at the Pa. Veterans Museum, or visiting a classroom to talk history with young students.
Smith did not merely talk about history, he lived it.
Speaking of history, Marrea Walker-Smith is about to make a bit of her own in Chester.
There will be a historic changing of the guard at the helm of the city’s Republican Party.
Former mayor and current state Sen. Dominic Pileggi is stepping down from his position as the GOP leader in the city.
Walker-Smith is in line to become the new party chief, marking two firsts along the way.
She becomes the first African-American to lead the city’s GOP, as well as the first woman.
Both are long overdue.
Congratulations to Walker-Smith.
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