SENATE RESOLUTION No. 96
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED OCTOBER 29, 2020
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Diegnan and Ruiz
SYNOPSIS
Honors life of Tuskegee Airman James A. Cotten.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee on February 11, 2021, with amendments.
A Senate Resolution honoring the life of Tuskegee Airman James A. Cotten.
Whereas, Chief Master Sergeant James A. Cotten was a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and longtime resident of Willingboro, New Jersey; and
Whereas, Prior to the United States’ entry into World War II, Black people were denied the opportunity to assist in military air operations out of the belief they were not sophisticated enough to work with complex aircraft; and
Whereas, In 1940, after lobbying by various civil rights groups, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that the Army Air Corps would begin training Black pilots at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama; and
Whereas, Many of the trainees were college graduates who went on to serve as pilots, navigators, bombardiers, instructors, mechanics, control tower operators, and support staff; and
Whereas, The “Tuskegee Airmen” as they were called, flew over 15,000 missions during World War II destroying over 250 German planes, 1,000 transportation vehicles, and earning more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses; and
Whereas, As a result of their brave service, the Tuskegee Airmen helped pave the way for the issuance of Executive Order 9881 by President Harry S. Truman which ordered the desegregation of the Armed Forces in 1948; and
Whereas, Chief Master Sergeant James A. Cotten was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1945 and later assigned to the Army Air Corps, 332nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron working as an air operations specialist with the elite all-Black fighter group; and
Whereas, Cotten became the first African-American to be assigned to the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter Group at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia after the military was desegregated; and
Whereas, He was subsequently assigned to other military installations in Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Newfoundland before retiring from active duty in 1965 while stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in Lakehurst, New Jersey; and
Whereas, For the next 45 years, Cotten continued working for the Department of Defense as a civilian contract administrator at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst until he retired in 2012 at age 85; and
Whereas, In recognition of his service with the Tuskegee Airmen, Cotten was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2012 and was one of six veterans present at the White House when President Barack Obama honored the unit in 2013; and
Whereas, Cotten has also been awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, World War II Victory Award, and the National Defense Service Award; and
Whereas, Cotten remained active in his community by serving as a member of the Twenty Plus Retirement Club, a board member of ABCO Federal Credit Union, and a member of the New Jersey Credit Union League Board; and
Whereas, Sadly, Chief Master Sergeant Cotten passed away on August 14, 2020, exactly 75 years after he was first drafted into the Army Air Corps; and
Whereas, As we lose more members of the Greatest Generation each day, it is important to recognize the accomplishments of men like Chief Master Sergeant Cotten who selflessly served our nation while overcoming racial segregation and prejudice; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House proudly honors Chief Master Sergeant James A. Cotten for his lifetime of service to our nation and for his role in helping 1to1 bring about the desegregation of the United States Armed Forces as 1a1 member of the Tuskegee Airmen.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of Defense, the Governor, the Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, each member of Congress elected from this State, the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the President of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum, and to the family of Chief Master Sergeant James A. Cotten.