No, you did not miss President Trump’s meaning when he highlighted that young man who wanted to be a part of the Space Force in his State of the Union Address before (most of) Congress on Tuesday evening.
Trump’s message was clear: the U.S. has come as far in race relations as we have from the Air Force to the Space Force.
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Sitting in the gallery was Charles McGee and next to him was his 13-year-old great-grandson, Iain Lanphier.
President Trump said, “And just weeks ago, for the first time since President Truman established the Air Force more than 70 years earlier, we created a new branch of the United States Armed Forces, the Space Force.”
The White House
He continued:
“In the gallery tonight, we have one of the Space Force’s youngest potential recruits: 13-year-old Iain Lanphier, an eighth grader from Arizona. Iain has always dreamed of going to space. He was first in his class and among the youngest at an aviation academy. He aspires to go to the Air Force Academy, and then, he has his eye on the Space Force. As Iain says, “most people look up at space, I want to look down on the world.”
“Sitting beside Iain tonight is his great hero. Charles McGee was born in Cleveland, Ohio, one century ago. Charles is one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen — the first black fighter pilots — and he also happens to be Iain’s great-grandfather. After more than 130 combat missions in World War II, he came back to a country still struggling for Civil Rights and went on to serve America in Korea and Vietnam. On December 7th, Charles celebrated his 100th birthday.”
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President Trump stated, “A few weeks ago, I signed a bill promoting Charles McGee to Brigadier General. And earlier today, I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office. General McGee: Our Nation salutes you.”
Even Nancy Pelosi sitting on her hands, hiding behind the speech or ripping up the State of the Union speech, can’t ruin the moment. Watch it here:
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