673:
305:
He was employed as an electrical engineer at W. R. Grace & Co., which was a major manufacturing facility that made packaging machines. During his 18 years there, Westbrook designed various types of electronic control circuits. He is listed as the co-inventor of a patented processing system that
232:. Because it happened so quickly, the U.S. had no record of it. More than fifty years later, First Lieutenant Westbrook was able to confirm this happened as he was doing research with French-language materials. Macon had crashed into a German command outpost with more than 40 officers inside.
713:
182:. He knew he didn't want to be in the infantry, despite the fact he had never been in an airplane before. On February 8, 1944, he completed his pilot training (class 44-b) and was sent to Selfridge Air Field near
206:
in July 1944. As a combat pilot, he flew 60 missions over 12 countries in Europe. Westbrook was promoted to First
Lieutenant, and served in the 332nd Fighter Group from July 1944 to May 1945.
748:
298:
in 1945. He had planned to attend engineering school, but was turned down by the director of the school. It wouldn't accept black students. After this setback, Westbrook moved to
127:
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 5 Clusters, Presidential Unit
Citation, 15th Air Force Certificate of Valor, 5 Battle Stars, Congressional Medal, French Legion of Honor
583:
489:
703:
743:
268:
260:
708:
271:, the 15th Air Force Certificate of Valor, and five Battle Stars, as well as an air-to-air victory over a German Bf 109 fighter on October 4, 1944.
385:
614:
718:
321:
Shelby
Westbrook married Lulu Bell Leonard in 1952. They resided on the South Side of Chicago in the same house until her death in 2006.
286:, along with five other Chicago-area World War II veterans, for their "extraordinary bravery in liberating France during World War II."
194:
Westbrook was attached to the 99th
Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. This was one of the first all Black units formed by the
738:
646:
72:
733:
723:
564:
728:
195:
228:
On a strafing mission over
Southern France, Westbrook witnessed fellow pilot Richard Macon crash into a building near
688:
313:. Shelby Westbrook also wrote and published a book "Bolo Pacha"; the story of a double spy during World War I.
302:
and earned his
Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics from the American Television Institute of Technology.
275:
179:
93:
333:
279:
154:
45:
157:
on
January 15, 1922. When he was twelve years old, his parents died. Shortly after, Westbrook moved to
698:
693:
620:
597:
218:
162:
464:
209:
On his 31st mission, his P-51 Mustang developed engine trouble. Westbrook was forced to land in
642:
567:
560:
542:
61:
186:. During his time here, Second Lieutenant Westbrook trained in single-engine fighter planes.
515:
345:
283:
214:
138:
672:
490:"Former Toledo pilot honored as elite all-black airmen to get Congressional Gold Medal"
248:
199:
682:
635:
295:
668:
244:
222:
158:
142:
664:
229:
217:'s Partisans. They were sent to a group of British Intelligence officers led by
350:
210:
264:
557:
Bolo Pacha: A Forgotten Story About Men & Women Who Made
History in WWI
626:
571:
436:
299:
183:
584:"Tuskegee Airman Who Lived Out His Later Years In Chicago Dies At 94"
236:
203:
637:
Red-Tail Angels: The Story of the
Tuskegee Airmen of World War II
240:
178:
In March 1943, Westbrook enrolled in aviation cadet training at
516:"Five U.S. veterans of WWII to Receive French Legion of Honor"
714:
282:. On November 8, 2013, Westbrook was presented the French
165:, an integrated high school. Westbrook graduated in 1939.
213:
with his wingman, and was rescued by a group of Marshal
543:"Buffalo Grove man to receive French Legion of Honor"
259:
For his service in Europe, Westbrook was awarded the
627:
Tuskegee Airmen watch their history on silver screen
278:, which is the highest civilian award given by the
123:
115:
107:
99:
87:
79:
67:
51:
32:
21:
634:
633:McKissack, Patricia; McKissack, Fredrick (1995).
749:20th-century African-American military personnel
119:99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group
615:Number of air craft lost by Tuskegee questioned
274:In 2007, First Lieutenant Westbrook accepted a
153:Shelby Westbrook was born in the small town of
247:. He met the Pope when his group visited the
225:. About one month later he was back on duty.
8:
161:to live with his older brother. He attended
137:(January 15, 1922 – August 17, 2016) was a
671:
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
370:
368:
366:
18:
459:
457:
541:report, Daily Herald (5 November 2013).
202:, the 99th Fighter Squadron was sent to
362:
431:
386:"Front and Center with John Callaway:
704:People from Poinsett County, Arkansas
429:
427:
425:
423:
421:
419:
417:
415:
413:
411:
7:
744:21st-century African-American people
623:at Army Air Corps Library and Museum
329:Westbrook died on August 17, 2016.
609:External links and further reading
559:. : Trafford On Demand Pub, 2009.
14:
235:On R&R Westbrook traveled to
73:Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery
641:. New York: Walker and Company.
709:Military personnel from Chicago
660:. Chicago: Tuskegee Airmen Inc.
656:Westbrook, Shelby, ed. (1992).
309:He was the editor of the book,
103:4 years active, 6 years reserve
1:
198:. After further training in
719:Recipients of the Air Medal
332:His papers are held by the
16:Tuskegee Airman (1922–2016)
765:
598:"Westbrook, Shelby Papers"
294:Westbrook returned to the
269:Presidential Unit Citation
261:Distinguished Flying Cross
169:US Army Air Forces service
739:African-American aviators
658:Tuskegee Airmen 1941–1945
600:. Chicago Public Library.
520:consul-france-Chicago.org
437:"OTA Shelby F. Westbrook"
311:Tuskegee Airmen 1941–1945
465:"Bios: Shelby Westbrook"
276:Congressional Gold Medal
267:with five Clusters, the
180:Tuskegee Army Air Field
734:Aviators from Arkansas
334:Chicago Public Library
280:United States Congress
724:Writers from Arkansas
155:Marked Tree, Arkansas
100:Years of service
46:Marked Tree, Arkansas
729:Writers from Chicago
394:pritzkermilitary.org
555:Westbrook, Shelby.
135:Shelby F. Westbrook
617:at Air Force Times
219:Randolph Churchill
163:Libbey High School
586:. 18 August 2016.
184:Detroit, Michigan
133:First Lieutenant
131:
130:
62:Chicago, Illinois
756:
675:
665:Shelby Westbrook
661:
652:
640:
621:Shelby Westbrook
602:
601:
594:
588:
587:
580:
574:
553:
547:
546:
538:
532:
531:
529:
527:
512:
506:
505:
503:
501:
486:
480:
479:
477:
475:
461:
452:
451:
449:
447:
433:
406:
405:
403:
401:
396:. 2 October 2008
382:
325:Death and legacy
111:First Lieutenant
89:
58:
43:January 15, 1922
42:
40:
27:Shelby Westbrook
23:First Lieutenant
19:
764:
763:
759:
758:
757:
755:
754:
753:
689:Tuskegee Airmen
679:
678:
655:
649:
632:
611:
606:
605:
596:
595:
591:
582:
581:
577:
554:
550:
540:
539:
535:
525:
523:
514:
513:
509:
499:
497:
496:. 29 March 2007
494:toledoblade.com
488:
487:
483:
473:
471:
463:
462:
455:
445:
443:
435:
434:
409:
399:
397:
388:Tuskegee Airmen
384:
383:
364:
359:
346:Tuskegee Airmen
342:
327:
319:
306:is still used.
292:
284:Legion of Honor
257:
215:Josip Broz Tito
192:
176:
171:
151:
139:Tuskegee Airman
75:
60:
56:
55:August 17, 2016
44:
38:
36:
28:
25:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
762:
760:
752:
751:
746:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
696:
691:
681:
680:
677:
676:
662:
653:
647:
630:
624:
618:
610:
607:
604:
603:
589:
575:
548:
533:
522:. 11 July 2013
507:
481:
453:
441:taichicago.com
407:
361:
360:
358:
355:
354:
353:
348:
341:
338:
326:
323:
318:
315:
291:
288:
256:
253:
249:Sistine Chapel
200:South Carolina
196:Army Air Corps
191:
188:
175:
172:
170:
167:
150:
147:
141:active during
129:
128:
125:
121:
120:
117:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
101:
97:
96:
91:
85:
84:
81:
77:
76:
71:
69:
65:
64:
59:(aged 94)
53:
49:
48:
34:
30:
29:
26:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
761:
750:
747:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
686:
684:
674:
670:
666:
663:
659:
654:
650:
648:0-8027-8292-2
644:
639:
638:
631:
628:
625:
622:
619:
616:
613:
612:
608:
599:
593:
590:
585:
579:
576:
573:
569:
566:
562:
558:
552:
549:
544:
537:
534:
521:
517:
511:
508:
495:
491:
485:
482:
470:
466:
460:
458:
454:
442:
438:
432:
430:
428:
426:
424:
422:
420:
418:
416:
414:
412:
408:
395:
391:
389:
381:
379:
377:
375:
373:
371:
369:
367:
363:
356:
352:
349:
347:
344:
343:
339:
337:
335:
330:
324:
322:
317:Personal life
316:
314:
312:
307:
303:
301:
297:
296:United States
289:
287:
285:
281:
277:
272:
270:
266:
262:
254:
252:
250:
246:
242:
238:
233:
231:
226:
224:
220:
216:
212:
207:
205:
201:
197:
189:
187:
185:
181:
173:
168:
166:
164:
160:
156:
148:
146:
144:
140:
136:
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
95:
92:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
63:
54:
50:
47:
35:
31:
20:
669:Find a Grave
657:
636:
629:at ABC7 news
592:
578:
556:
551:
536:
524:. Retrieved
519:
510:
498:. Retrieved
493:
484:
472:. Retrieved
468:
444:. Retrieved
440:
398:. Retrieved
393:
387:
331:
328:
320:
310:
308:
304:
293:
273:
258:
245:Vatican City
234:
227:
223:Evelyn Waugh
208:
193:
177:
159:Toledo, Ohio
152:
143:World War II
134:
132:
57:(2016-08-17)
699:2016 deaths
694:1922 births
526:17 February
500:17 February
474:17 February
469:history.com
446:17 February
400:17 February
290:Later years
230:Montpellier
683:Categories
565:1426921756
357:References
351:WWII in HD
211:Yugoslavia
149:Early life
80:Allegiance
39:1922-01-15
572:601050592
265:Air Medal
94:Air Force
340:See also
174:Training
88:Service/
83:American
300:Chicago
645:
570:
563:
263:, the
255:Awards
243:, and
237:Naples
190:Combat
124:Awards
90:branch
68:Buried
204:Italy
643:ISBN
568:OCLC
561:ISBN
528:2015
502:2015
476:2015
448:2015
402:2015
241:Rome
221:and
116:Unit
108:Rank
52:Died
33:Born
667:at
685::
518:.
492:.
467:.
456:^
439:.
410:^
392:.
365:^
336:.
251:.
239:,
145:.
651:.
545:.
530:.
504:.
478:.
450:.
404:.
390:"
41:)
37:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.