Firsts...

[Garibaldi]

I saw on Facebook's CAP page that a young African-American man receive his Spaatz award, and it got me to thinking about demographics. Specifically...

Who was the first African-American to receive the Spaatz award?
Who was the first female?
How many minorities have received the Spaatz award?
How many females?
What have they done since getting the award, like military, civilian aerospace, and whatnot? Does anyone track it?
How many stay in as SMs?

Just curious.

[SarDragon]

Here's the master list from TSA.

[spaatzmom]

I saw on Facebook's CAP page that a young African-American man receive his Spaatz award, and it got me to thinking about demographics. Specifically...

Who was the first African-American to receive the Spaatz award?
Who was the first female?  8      Gwen D. Sawyer   17-Dec-65   NM   F
How many minorities have received the Spaatz award?
How many females?    254
What have they done since getting the award, like military, civilian aerospace, and whatnot? Does anyone track it?
How many stay in as SMs?

Just curious.

http://spaatzassociation.wordpress.com/spaatz-award-count-by-year/
http://spaatzassociation.wordpress.com/spaatz-award-recipients/

Interestingly Fl wing has the most Spaatzen awarded

[Garibaldi]

Here's the master list from TSA.

wow...thanks!

[Critical AOA]

Since when does race and gender matter?  Does it make the accomplishment any less or any greater?   

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

My first CAP squadron produced a Spaatz...a very exceptional young woman.

As a second and first lieutenant, I outranked her...but when she went to the "dark side" at age 21, she was a Captain - and I had to salute her!

[Walkman]

Since when does race and gender matter?  Does it make the accomplishment any less or any greater?

I agree with you to a certain extent. Today, many of the barriers that held back women and minorities (or women minorities for that matter!) are no longer issues. "back in the day" however, it could have been a different story. Seeing as the first Spaatzen was in '64 (in MIWG, go home team!) some of these barriers were already coming down in our country. Those that achieved this milestone in the days when prejudice was still alive and well for certain demographics most likely trod a harder road to get there than your typical white male during that time. That's one of the reasons we can celebrate their accomplishment on both fronts, achieving the Spaatz is a major deal, doing it possibly in spite of obstacles due to race or gender adds another element of achievement.

I'm of the the mind that it's a good thing to remember these kinds of firsts. Mainly because our culture has gone so far from some of those issues, that many don't have a frame of reference for how far we've come. Being able to celebrate someone as a first "insert race or gender here" begs the question from the younger generation "Why is that a big deal?". Then we can explain the context of culture at the time. Then we keep Santaynna's quote of being ignorant of history at bay.

But that's my $.02, YMMV, etc.

David, you are very correct though in that the Spaatz (or any other high achievement for that matter) should be celebrated regardless of race and gender. The achievement should be open to all.

(edit to fix stupid spelling)

[Private Investigator]

Since when does race and gender matter?  Does it make the accomplishment any less or any greater?

I agree with you to a certain extent. Today, many of the barriers that held back women and minorities (or women minorities for that matter!) are no longer issues. "back in the day" however, it could have been a different story. Seeing as the first Spaatzen was in '64 (in MIWG, go home team!) some of these barriers were already coming down in our country. ...

Every time you think we have made advancements something pops up in the news and it is 1913 again.

Human longevity will be like 200 years and we will be walking on planets, two solar systems beyond us. But that talent has been overlooked or pushed aside. JMHO   

[Cliff_Chambliss]

I grew up thinking of myself as an American.  Nothing else, just an American.  Then as a teenager I was told I was not an American because I was not a US Citizen, I had to be something else.  So, being in the Deep South I was labeled as Chicano, Latino, Spanish-American, various derogatory other terms, etc.  Why could I not just be an American?
Then in the Army and afterwards it became worse, everyone had to be something else to fill in as many blocks as possible on the many EEO reports

For generations people came to America to become Americans and the Americans were one great people.  (Even in the 1950's in the Birmmingham, Alabama Public School System I remember studying about George Washington Carver and all the great tings he did with peanuts.  No mention was made of his being black til years later...he was just an American).

Today everyone is so caught up with being something else that no one wants to be just an American.  Could it be that this drive to be something else is what is a factor in out inability to come together as Americans, One Great People.

ps:  I did become an US Citizen while serving in Vietnam and today I am just an American.

[Майор Хаткевич]

There was NEVER a time in American history where people were just American. And IIRC the first 8 presidents were not natural born citizens.

[Walkman]

Today everyone is so caught up with being something else that no one wants to be just an American.  Could it be that this drive to be something else is what is a factor in out inability to come together as Americans, One Great People.

That is one powerful statement. Well said.

[A.Member]

Since when does race and gender matter?  Does it make the accomplishment any less or any greater?

Agreed.  Who cares?! 

The less focus we have on calling out race, gender, or anything of that sort of garbage the better off we are.

[Garibaldi]

It was just a question. I was interested in knowing. Now I know. We can put this thread to rest.

[Flying Pig]

There was NEVER a time in American history where people were just American. And IIRC the first 8 presidents were not natural born citizens.

Well....of course.  There was no US to be born in.    The more we try to unify the harder we try to make
ourselves different.

[Private Investigator]

I grew up thinking of myself as an American.  Nothing else, just an American.  Then as a teenager I was told I was not an American because I was not a US Citizen, I had to be something else.  So, being in the Deep South I was labeled as Chicano, Latino, Spanish-American, various derogatory other terms, etc.  Why could I not just be an American?
Then in the Army and afterwards it became worse, everyone had to be something else to fill in as many blocks as possible on the many EEO reports

For generations people came to America to become Americans and the Americans were one great people.  (Even in the 1950's in the Birmmingham, Alabama Public School System I remember studying about George Washington Carver and all the great tings he did with peanuts.  No mention was made of his being black til years later...he was just an American).

Today everyone is so caught up with being something else that no one wants to be just an American.  Could it be that this drive to be something else is what is a factor in out inability to come together as Americans, One Great People.

ps:  I did become an US Citizen while serving in Vietnam and today I am just an American.

Roger that    :clap: